Think about donating older car

Since 1990, SARET Charitable Fund has facilitated car donations and car repairs to hundreds residents in the western suburbs of Chicago. Each car donated, and each car repaired, gave a struggling family or an individual, a jump start to employment and ability to be more financially secure.

In 2008 our car donation program suffered a horrendous blow as fewer cars were donated due to the problematic economy, bringing our car donation program to a near standstill. We, therefore, diverted all funds in our transportation budget toward car repair, utilizing three local car shops: The Car Clinic in Warrenville, The Tire Connection in Lombard, and Bob Olsen from Lombard.

We are, therefore, appealing to the general public and to every establishment involved in selling or repairing cars to be aware of what the SARET Charitable Fund does in terms of our transportation aid program. When one buys a car, they have a choice to trade in their old vehicle or donate it to charity. In many instances, donating a vehicle to a charity like SARET facilitates a tax deduction appropriate to the true value of the car which is being donated.

We ask those buying a new car to be aware that an older car, if still working, could save an entire family from becoming homeless. It is that simple. Most other charities sell your car to an auctioneer for a couple hundred of dollars and that is all the deduction the donor can enjoy. Not so with SARET Charitable Fund, where every car is donated to a needy family or individual.

Just go to saretcharitablefund.org and click on the vehicle donation section to find out what SARET is all about or call 630-793-9556 or 630-474-9626.

Chana Bernstein

President, SARET Charitable Fund

Glen Ellyn