We are dedicated to providing cars which allow people to take control of their lives, helping them move forward.
What is a car? While some would answer that it’s an expensive metal box which sits on four wheels with an engine and a few pedals, in reality, it’s so much more. A car is what gets you from point A to point B with the least amount of time and stress. It’s the difference between feeling stuck and experiencing freedom; between accepting or denying the job; between signing your child up for the sports team or “waiting till next season.”
While owning a car is in fact a luxury, it’s also a necessity in order for many people to get to and from their jobs, child care and to have their everyday needs met. As the Upstate area continues to grow and expand, often increasing commute times, the lack of reliable public transportation has remained virtually the same. This leaves many people in a tight spot.
Whether a family or individual has been met with sudden financial hardship, job loss, a broken-down vehicle or has simply never had the opportunity to own a car, the disadvantage remains the same.
Our Mission At
Care Thru Cars’ mission, is to provide a reliable vehicle to someone that meets our criteria. This is someone that is a US Citizen, has a full-time job, is a person that lives in the upstate community, and is one step away from success, freedom & happiness because of not having reliable transportation. We provide the bridge for the next step for this to happen!
Our Goal At
We’ve seen time and again how one reliable vehicle can make the difference in breaking the challenging cycles that come with a lack of transportation. And if one car can be the catalyst to transform hopelessness into hope and defeat into success in someone’s life, then we want to be a part of it.
At the most basic level, we give away free cars. Yet at our depth, Care Thru Cars provides a means to greater freedom and possibility.
At Care Thru Cars, our goal is simple: to help hardworking individuals in our community gain access to reliable transportation when a vehicle could make a meaningful difference in their ability to work, support their family, and move forward.
Because the number of applicants often exceeds the number of vehicles available, our committee carefully reviews each application. Understanding our eligibility requirements and selection process before applying can help you determine whether Care Thru Cars may be the right fit for you.
To be considered for a Care Thru Cars vehicle, applicants must:
Our committee is looking for candidates who demonstrate a genuine need for reliable transportation and, importantly, the ability to maintain the vehicle moving forward. This includes being able to manage ongoing expenses such as insurance, fuel, maintenance, taxes, and registration.
Care Thru Cars does not accept applications year-round. The process begins when we secure a vehicle that is ready to be donated to a qualified candidate.
Once a vehicle is ready, we will email our Care Thru Cars community with the application opening date and deadline.
Want to know when the next vehicle becomes available? Be sure to sign up for Care Thru Cars emails through our website. This is the best way to receive updates about upcoming application opportunities and important deadlines.
The application will go live on the Care Thru Cars website for a designated period of time. Candidates must submit a complete application by the stated deadline to be considered.
We encourage applicants to take their time and answer each question completely and honestly. Your application is an opportunity for our committee to understand your current circumstances, employment, transportation needs, and how receiving a reliable vehicle could impact your life.
After the application period closes, the Care Thru Cars Board reviews the eligible applications. Because we may receive hundreds of applications for a single vehicle, not every applicant will move forward to the interview stage.
The Board will select a group of candidates to participate in interviews based on the information provided in their applications and the eligibility requirements of the program.
Selected applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. This gives our team an opportunity to learn more about each candidate, ask additional questions, and better understand how reliable transportation could impact their employment and daily life.
After interviews are completed, the Care Thru Cars committee meets to review the candidates and select the final recipient.
Receiving an interview does not guarantee that a candidate will receive the vehicle. Each available vehicle can only be awarded to one recipient, and the committee carefully considers all qualified finalists before making its decision.
Once a final decision has been made, all candidates will be notified by email, whether or not they were selected to receive the vehicle.
If you are not selected, please don’t be discouraged. The need in our community is significant, and choosing one recipient from so many deserving applicants is never easy.
Care Thru Cars is designed to provide more than a vehicle it is intended to give someone a reliable tool to help maintain employment, gain independence, and continue moving forward.
Before applying, please make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and are financially prepared for the ongoing responsibilities of vehicle ownership.
Care Thru Cars is a non-profit organization, based in South Carolina, whose mission is to provide cars to those whose lives would greatly benefit from a dependable mode of transportation. Mark, a mechanic for over 35 years and owner of First Class HALT, and his mother Valerie, decided to go into business together with their shared passion of giving back to the community. Care Thru Cars strives to assist people in taking the wheels of their lives back into their own hands in order to experience greater independence and ease of living.
Care Thru Cars works together with First Class HALT, a well-established car maintenance shop in South Carolina, ensuring that each donated car is backed by the professionals of First Class HALT. Each vehicle will receive thorough maintenance and be inspected by the mechanical experts of First Class HALT prior to distribution.
To always remain in alignment with our vision, Care Thru Cars is consistently looking to our values:
We deliver reliable transportation that people can count on.
We are kind and care about the well-being of all individuals.
We look beyond present limitations to deliver value for the future.
We know that when we collaborate, we can achieve more.
We believe that these values apply not only to Care Thru Cars, but to our world at large. It’s only when we truly help and look out for one another that balance can be found. Our hope is that the values set within our organization will be felt in each interaction, touching the lives of those in our community, and ultimately creating a ripple effect out into our world.
My name is Mark and I’ve been servicing and repairing cars for the past 35 years. In that time, I’ve not only witnessed how expensive it is to purchase and properly maintain a car, but also how imperative it is for people to have that reliable transportation in order to get to work, pick up their kids, buy groceries and run all of the necessary, everyday errands. Living in the Upstate, it’s nearly impossible to get around without a car due to the lack of public transportation. Because of this, I wanted to give back to my local community by establishing Care Through Cars and donating a well-maintained car to someone whose life it could change; someone who is just four wheels away from creating a successful life. If I can do that, mission accomplished!
My name is Valerie and my reason for starting Care Through Cars is quite personal: When I first joined the workforce, it took me 1 hour just to get to my job. Every day, rain or shine, I made the 30-minute walk to the bus stop, followed by the 20-minute bus ride to the ferry, and finally another 10-minute ride to work. Not to mention all of that in reverse to get back home. Upon my grandfather’s passing, I was left an inheritance which forever changed my life; I was able to buy a motor scooter, saving me 35 minutes getting to work each day. I now hope to share that same gift by giving our clients not only an independent ride, but their time back, along with the same feelings of freedom, independence and joy that I experienced!
First Class HALT and Care Through Cars work closely together, with FCH performing all of the necessary maintenance to the cars which will be donated. First Class HALT will use the extensive skills and experience of its staff to ensure that each vehicle is reliable and runs at its top performance at the time that it’s awarded. First Class HALT’s day-to-day mission is to use their significant depth of industry experience to deliver the highest quality service at affordable prices. Their relationship with customers has continuously been built on honesty and integrity. As such, they have always pledged to provide clients with only the service that is absolutely required in order to keep cars running at optimum performance, and nothing else. One of FCH’s specialties is providing dealership services at a fraction of the cost, with complete customer satisfaction consistently at the forefront.
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