I have had a car that no longer works sitting in front of my house for five months.
You know that thing when you know your car is dying, but you are in denial, so you will spend $150 to fix it, and then like six months later $300, and then three months later $493 and then one day your kid is driving it and it just completely stops running on Little River Turnpike and they try to coast home and they miraculously make it into the neighborhood but not to your house and also it isn’t exactly on the curb, so there is pushing and also towing involved and also another $2400 to fix it and you know that this car is probably is not worth $2400 so you have to figure out what to do next and that is why you have the car that no longer works sitting in front of your house in the first place?
I assume that middle part is just me, but the part about having a car that cost more to fix than it is currently worth might be familiar. The part about having a non-working vehicle in the street in front of your house (or in your driveway, or in your yard, or in your garage, or in your barn if you have a farm) might be hitting close to home. If you can relate to any of this, you, too, should consider donating your car to the J.
Why should I donate my car to the JCC? I can hear you asking it, and I will tell you why right now:
- TAX DEDUCTION – you can deduct the value your car gets at auction, which is probably more than you could sell it for on your own. We are a 501(c)3 and more than happy to provide you with documentation for the IRS.
- You don’t have to sell it on your own. You don’t have to take pictures. You don’t have to pay for ads. No creepy want-ad stalkers are going to come to your house.
- You can stop thinking about it. A nice lady named Pam will call you and schedule a tow truck to come pick it up and it will all be over.
- Your neighbors will stop resenting you for having a dirty, not driveable car just sitting there.
- IT IS FOR A GREAT CAUSE. Here at the JCC, we have no-cost camps for kids with pediatric cancer, we have programs for seniors, we have outreach programs to provide social impact all throughout Northern Virginia and beyond, we support growing Jewish families, we enrich lives through cultural arts, disabilities and inclusion, recreational and educational activities, we offer amazing group exercise classes, a fantastic early childhood learning center, language classes, camps for all ages and abilities, Shabbat Connections, a gorgeous pool and state-of-the-art fitness center, and we provide a place for people to come and be a part of our community. And also… we need a new roof.
These are only some of reasons I am donating my car to Pozez JCC. I started working out in J-FIT after COVID and I liked it so much that I started working here full time. The staff and members here are my community and a second family. The J provides so many different types of experiences and opportunities for people throughout Northen Virginia… taking pride in being a vibrant Jewish community while welcoming people of all faiths, identities, cultures, backgrounds, and abilities as an important part of our fabric.
If you made it this far in my post, you clearly know you can donate your car (unless you are a skip-around reader, which is weird) and you are probably already a member and a supporter, but did you know you can donate stocks or other investments to the JCC and avoid paying capital gains taxes if you’ve had the investments for over a year? Did you know you can make a bequest or establish an endowment fund?
If you don’t have a car, there are so many other ways to give.
Please consider donating to the JCC. Our development team makes it easy. They take checks or cash or you can make a secure gift online with a credit card, Venmo, Google Pay, PayPal or bank transfer. If you have any questions, you can contact Michelle Pearlstein, our Development Director, 703.537.3033, or you can stop by the Membership Office, where I spend most of my time, and we can chat about it. I am always happy to talk about ways you can support the J.
