ca
Charity
Drive
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JARC makes good use
of used cars.
LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
Staff Writer
T
hey call her "Mother
Vaddles," a Yiddish take on
a Detroit tradition (Mother
Waddles' ministry and soup
kitchen).
But it's no joke for Judy Burnett,
who coordinates the donation of used
cars to JARC, the Jewish Association
for Residential Care.
A Dec. 10 Detroit Free Press article
reported that Detroiters donated more
than 30,000 used automobiles to at
least 15 competing local charities in
the last two years. JARC is the Jewish
version, and this is the busiest time of
year to unload an old car for a tax
credit, Burnett says.
In December alone, JARC receives
around 10 calls a day about car dona-
tion — twice as many calls as during
the other 11 months. JARC personnel
pick up the autos from anywhere in
the metro area. Then, they are either
sent to a salvage yard for a small price,
fixed up and used as a spare vehicle to
service JARC clients, or given to a
wholesaler who can then sell the car
and give JARC the proceeds.
Of the $1.8 million JARC raises
privately, car donations account for 2
percent, Burnett says. JARC's total
271 West Maple
• JARC has received cars, boats,
budget is $5.4 million.
motorcycles, even a Jaguar. Mostly,
"People get a tax deduction,"
people give their cars to JARC for the
Burnett says. "The donor is responsi-
tax donation, Burnett says, "but the
ble for determining the value of the
fact that it's Jewish means something
vehicle. We explain the IRS rules —
to them."
[more than] $5,000, you need a writ-
When JARC started accepting
ten appraisal."
donated cars four years
ago, it collected about
50 a year; now it's up to
200.
Chanukah Art con-
Last week, DoJuan
testant Emily Sallen
Wilkins, who works in
was pictured with
JARC's accounting
the wrong drawing
department, donated his
in the Dec. 19 edi-
1978 gold Oldsmobile
tion.Sallen won an
Cutlass, with 40,000
honorable mention
miles on it. He joins a
in the annual con-
handful of JARC
test.
employees who have
Emily Sallen
donated their cars.
agel0
"I'd had some prob-
Troy
lems
with it and was
Covington Middle
hoping
to get another
School
car
instead
of selling the
Adat Shalom
body
and
parts,"
he
Synagogue
says. ❑
Downtown Birmingham
248.258.0212
Monday—Saturday 10-6 • Thursday 10-9
Correction
ACCENTS
IN NEEDLEPOINT
\\,
Contemporary
Designs
626-3042
..sttg4t6.
12/26
1997
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