Hands of the Carpenter Charity Gives Cars to Single Mothers in Need
Being a single parent is a challenging endeavor. In addition to balancing the demands of work and parenting, there are often financial difficulties. This includes constraints on the ability to afford a reliable car. Hands of the Carpenter, a nonprofit charity organization in Colorado, helps address this problem by giving cars to single mothers in need.
What is Hands of the Carpenter?
Hands of the Carpenter is a charity that “serves working single moms by addressing the often overlooked issue of transportation.” Services include automobile placement, maintenance, and repairs. The mission of Hands of the Carpenter is to “give hope to single women with dependent children, while providing automobile services, partnering in their efforts to remain employed and to strive toward economic self-sufficiency.”
As of this writing, the accomplishments of Hands of the Writer include:
- 267 women served
- 50 car placements
- 312 vehicle maintenance tasks
- 518 vehicle repairs
Positive difference that car donations make for single mothers
The car donations and automotive services have multiple benefits for single mothers. It lessens the financial burden. It gives single mothers the ability to drive to work and move toward economic self-sufficiency. Also, these cars give single mothers more freedom, along with greater opportunities. Additionally, the donated cars are a great morale boost, for they give hope to single mothers in need.
Fox31 interviewed Rose Paz, a single mother of three and recipient of a donated car from Hands of the Carpenter. For years, Paz balanced “multiple jobs to provide for her family and struggled with an unreliable car.” She “emptied out her savings for repairs and was often misled at auto-repair shops and overcharged.” She even “learned from YouTube to try and fix her own vehicle.” Paz explained, “It’s very difficult. If you don’t have it [a car], it means you can’t go to the store. You can’t go to the doctors. You can’t go to work.”
Then, the single mother heard of the Hands of the Carpenter charity via Nextdoor, a social media app for local neighborhoods. Paz said, “It’s life-changing. It was emotional, like a dream come true, to be placed in a car that is going to be reliable and to know that this company is going to hug you in a way that no one else can.” She continued, “Honestly, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t find this program. I probably would’ve lost my jobs.”
Hands of the Carpenter seeks car donations for single mothers
The success of the Hands of the Carpenter charity in helping single mothers would not be possible without car donations from individuals. With this in mind, Hands of the Carpenter seeks car donations. The greatest needs are “four-door sedans, minivans, and small SUVs.” However, other vehicle types are welcome.
The first step of the car donation process is to fill out a form online and provide details about the vehicle. Then, Hands of the Carpenter will contact car owners to schedule a drop-off time — or a tow, if necessary. After receiving the car, the organization will give it to a single mother in need. The person making the donation will receive a receipt and, 1-2 months later, a tax deduction form.
