Q. What is the Recycled Rides program and how did Hands on Hartford get involved with it?
A. Recycled Rides is an initiative of the National Auto Body Council, of which Connecticut Collision Repair Specialists (CCRS) is an affiliate. The program was originally conceived in 2007 with the intent of putting reconditioned cars directly in the hands of car-less low-income working people. In 2009, council affiliates donated about 75 vehicles nationwide. The council’s 2010 goal is to place as many as 150 vehicles.
Last year, 2009, was the first year the Connecticut affiliate got involved. Hands On Hartford in part acts as a catalyst between businesses and nonprofit organizations, generally around volunteer initiatives. This program is a natural extension of the mission of Hands On Hartford and we were delighted to support CCRS. We are tremendously proud of our accomplishments and continue to be impressed with the generosity of entrepreneurs that make up CCRS. They dedicate their time and treasure to this wonderful program. This year CCRS is working with HOH and already has commitments for 10 vehicles from member shops.
Q. Where do the recycled and repaired cars come from? What is the total value of the cars being donated?
A. The vehicles are supplied by the participating repair shops themselves. They acquire vehicles in need of repairs from a variety of sources, make them completely road-worthy and restore them to top cosmetic condition. We estimate the average value of donated vehicles to be north of $15,000, for a total program value of $150,000 not including the value of the volunteer time involved and the value to recipients in terms of increased ability to fulfill their missions. We are excited by the fact that participating shops are small independent businesses. When business owners take it upon themselves to completely restore a vehicle and donate it to the program they are making a huge contribution for which we are immensely grateful.
Q. This year, you expect CCSR will account for about 7 percent of the cars being donated nationwide, a large number considering Connecticut has only slightly more than 1 percent of the U.S. population. Do you think its commitment might inspire larger giving around the country?
A. We definitely expect the success of our partnership with CCRS to command national attention. Already two of the top leaders of the national council have told us they plan to attend our award ceremony in November. We believe they are especially excited by our plan to maximize impact by working with nonprofit human service agencies from across the state.
Q. How is the final decision going to be made on who receives the vehicles? We understand Hands on Hartford will receive a van as part of the process for taking on responsibility for managing this initiative from beginning to end, but who decides who gets the rest?
A. We are in the process of selecting a jury to review the applications and make the final selections. The jury will include a Hands On Hartford staff member, a Hands On Hartford board member, a representative of CCSR, a representative of the greater Hartford business community, and a representative of one of Connecticut’s leading philanthropies.
Q. How can nonprofits become involved in this program? When is the cutoff date to apply for it?
A. The first thing eligible nonprofits need to do is to e-mail us a Letter of Intent, stating their interest in applying. The due date for that is Aug. 15. Anyone who provides a letter can then submit a full application. The cut off date for applications is October 1.
Q. The program is targeted to nonprofits at least two years old, that can show the financial stability needed to maintain and operate a vehicle once it is acquired. How were these guidelines established? Any idea how many nonprofits would be eligible to participate in Connecticut under the program guidelines?
A. New nonprofits appear on the scene with great regularity. The two-year rule was established so we can be sure applicants have a track record of demonstrated impact and success, but also allows for the fact younger nonprofits may benefit more from access to a vehicle. Because of the economy, these are challenging times for all nonprofits. We are looking for nonprofits that can show a high likelihood of making it through the downturn in good financial shape. Across Connecticut there are literally hundreds of nonprofits that could theoretically benefit from the program. In Hartford alone there are well over 100. We expect applications from roughly 100 organizations, but we could be surprised.
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