C.A.R. Program Repairs Vehicles, People’s Lives

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — The only program of its kind in the state repairs used vehicles and gives them away in an effort to help the working poor repair their lives. Les Shreck is the lone mechanic responsible for taking one person’s trash and making it another person’s treasure. “We try to resurrect these cars,” said Shreck, who is a mechanic at the Cooperative Ministry. “It might not be pretty when it leaves here, but safety wise, road wise there, is no hesitation getting in one of these cars.” Through the Community Auto Repository, or CAR, program, the Cooperative Ministry is the only organization of its kind in the state that offers a fair market value tax deduction for your used vehicle. “We receive refurbished vehicles, fix them up, give them out to working adults who need transportation,” said Wanda Pearson, services coordinator with the organization. She says to make an old vehicle safe to drive takes about three weeks.. Shreck says the pay off for the free vehicles is well worth it for recipients like the one he recently encountered. “She was so excited. It was the first car she’d ever owned and she said this had changed her life forever.” Once a new starter is installed on a Nissan Quest that was parked in the garage for repair, the key will go to a new owner at no cost. However, there are nearly 130 more people on a waiting list. Pearson says they receive four times the calls than vehicles. Some people have been waiting for more than six months. Pearson claims donations are at two vehicles per month, but the demand steadily increases. She’s hoping getting the word out about the CAR program will change that. “If anyone has a car they can donate to the program we can refurbish or salvage and we can use the cash to fix something else up we can give away, we want to talk to them.” Les says he doesn’t mind the work. He actually wishes he had more vehicles to repair, so more working people can continue repairing their lives. For more information about qualifying for the CAR program, call 803-799-3853, 3821 W Beltline Blvd, Columbia, SC 29204, www.coopmin.org.