An Open Letter to the Industry

GOOD DEEDSAn Open Letter to the IndustryDear Neighbor, I've got a secret. Don't you just love secrets? Here's a mystery for you, and for the life of me, I can't figure it out, either. Maybe you can help. It's all very hush-hush. Keep it to yourself, OK? This huge, mysterious secret is all around us. It's happening right now, at this very moment, today, perhaps on your block ... maybe even the next home down the street. And a donated car - YOUR donated car, for example - could very well actually save a life. Wow, this must be some secret, huh?

The secret is, the Auto Value/ Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars Campaign needs vehicle donations from people just like you - in fact, from you - for an extraordinary program that gives the gift of refurbished, safe, roadworthy and reliable automobiles to people who absolutely need them in the worst way ... and need it right now. We need your help. Actually, it's your neighbor that needs our help, together. Why?Q: What happens every 15 seconds in this country?A: A woman becomes the victim of domestic abuse. Here's a slew of "secrets" about what you just read: The financial cost to all of us - measured in skyrocketing health insurance premiums, in lost workdays, in shockingly overwhelmed court systems, police departments and social service agencies both public and private - was more than $67 billion in 2004, and the cost just continues to leap year after year. What if that victim was your sister or your daughter? Or perhaps your mother, your aunt, your niece or your cousin? What if she had kids and no job, no money of her own and no way to escape? What if a car was the only thing she needed to begin her new life, in freedom and safety for herself and her kids? What if you had a car you could donate? But wait, there's more. Q: What if your sister was pregnant at the time she was abused?A: She would simply be among the one in 10 women who are abused while with child. Shhhhhh...Important Web LinksThe Alliance Web site The Original 800-Charity Cars Web siteTWO GUYS GARAGE on
Speed-TV
(first episode of eight episodes where they are actually refurbishing four cars total for the campaign)

A short video documentary on YouTubeAnd one on a Journalspace blogIt's no secret that two out of three women seen in medical emergency facilities exhibit one or more signs of physical abuse. And, she would be, just like all other victims of domestic violence and their children, six times more likely to use emergency medical services than the rest of us. Don't tell anyone. Maybe the insurance companies haven't adjusted their health insurance rates to the rest of us yet. (Did you know that in some states, health insurance costs almost four times as much based on this factor alone.) Did you know that more than 3.3 million kids see their mother or caretaker beaten or abused every year? Keep this under your hat. What if YOU saw her being abused? Well, then, you would be among the one in seven of all Americans who have actually witnessed an episode of domestic violence. In other words, it isn't - it wasn't - your imagination. It really was happening, right there in front of you. But for heaven's sake, try not to let on that you ever saw it. So, what can you do to stop this from happening? You can donate a car. Will that stop all the violence? No, but it will give one woman - and her children - a way of working toward a better life.Q: How can my vehicle donation make a difference here?A: The Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars Campaign paves the way for your car donation.

You donate it, we donate our labor and time, our parts suppliers and OEM vendors donate the necessary parts, The Original 1-800 Charity Cars non-profit organization handles the license, title, registration, and even the first month's car insurance.

The vehicle is awarded car to someone who has decided to be a victim no longer. Q: So what do you want from me? A: The program wants 500 cars donated across North America this year - right now, today. We want to give at least 500 women and their children the opportunity to regain freedom and safety and autonomy, and we want you to donate a usable car, pickup, SUV or minivan to the campaign. We want you to pick up that phone right now and call 1-800-242-7489. Tell them you have a vehicle to donate specifically to the Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars Campaign. we want you to ask your boss, your neighbors to donate their vehicles, members from your social and professional groups, your Chamber of Commerce, and your fleet manager to donate their extra vehicles instead of turn them over at the end of the lease. Here's another little secret: We want you to do it TODAY.Q: So what's in it for me? A: You mean, besides helping someone in need? Oh, let's see: There's a tax deduction for you for the sale price of the vehicle if it is sold at auction, and the proceeds help fund this program. Better yet, if your donated vehicle is used 'in kind' - that means, if we can refurbish it to safe, reliable, roadworthy condition at our expense, and we can then donate that vehicle to a qualified recipient, then YOU get the full fair market value of that vehicle as your tax deduction. And you will have the satisfaction of knowing you helped a real person with a real need, right in your own community. This is happening everywhere, by the way - it doesn't "just happen to poor people." In fact, you could get a pretty good idea of the potential value of your donated vehicle by visiting one of these Internet sites and entering the vehicle information on your automobile. Try www.Edmunds.com for both their TMV Used Car Appraiser tool, as well as an insightful discussion in their article, "Selling Tips: Does Charity Car Donation Still Make Sense Under Tougher IRS Rules?" by Joanne Helperin. The answer, she says, is "Yes - you can still deduct the full fair market value if you know where to look." The www.NADAguides.com site features a similar Used Car pricing tool to help you determine the approximate value of your vehicle. Operated by the National Automotive Dealers Association, it's a reputable source of hard data about new and used vehicles, and the information can help you with this decision In the richest country on the face of the Earth, tell me: Is 500 cars a lot to ask? We can continue to keep this just our little secret. We can continue to turn away from our neighbors in need. We can continue to overwhelm our courts, our police departments, our social services resources, our businesses and workplaces, our insurance and healthcare providers, by keeping our little secret. Or, in our mostly male-dominated industry, we can stand up and help our neighbors by giving them a car they can trust. We can help somebody's sister or daughter, aunt or niece, mother or cousin, find hope and help, freedom and a new life for herself and her precious children. And we can do it with the simple gift of a car, pickup, minivan or SUV donated today to The AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars Campaign. Just call 1-800-CHARITY (800-242-7489) and tell them you want to donate your vehicle to this Campaign in your area. Please, isn't it time to put an end to this little "secret"? Thank you from your neighbors,Brian Menzies, CEO, Founder The Original 1-800 Charity Cars (a 501c-3 non-profit organization) 1-800-CHARITY (1-800-242-7489)Tell them you want to donate a vehicle to The AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars CampaignR. Dale Leigh, CPC, AAM Power Solutions Group Inc. National Chairperson, The AutoValue/Bumper to Bumper Charity Cars Campaign 847-778-1739 [email protected]Steve Marks, Senior VP, Marketing and Sales Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance [email protected]www.800autotalk.com