Driving Down Poverty: Society of St. Vincent de Paul® National Vehicle Donation Program Helps Those in Need

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Get rid of an old car. Lighten your tax burden for the year. Do something good for others during the holidays. These are all things that can be accomplished when you donate a car to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Vehicle Donation Program.

When a car is donated to the National Vehicle Donation Program, the proceeds generated from its sale at auction are tied directly into the donor's zip code.

"We realize that for every person who donates a vehicle, there are even more people in that same neighborhood in need," said Dave Barringer, CEO of the National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul. "The money that comes from donations in your neighborhood will go right back into the neighborhood and help those in need."

Since SVdP introduced the program in 2010, more than 6,400 motor vehicles have gone through the program. That includes trucks, boats, motorcycles, personal watercrafts, heavy equipment and airplanes. "Whether it rolls, flies or floats, we can probably accommodate the donation," Barringer said.

The average vehicle sold through the program generates $600 to help those in need.

"With $600, we can feed a family of four for a month through one of our local food pantries. We can provide one week's salary for two candidates in our transitional job re-entry program," said Sheila Gilbert, national president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  

Insurance Auto Auctions, one of the largest companies of its kind in North America, manages the vehicle donation program for SVdP. IAA's goal is to sell each vehicle for the highest price possible to help SVdP help those in need. The company has been working with charitable organizations for more than 30 years.

SVdP also is a member of One Car One Difference^™, a national public awareness program created by the IAA Donation Division to support more than 100 participating charities nationwide.

According to Gilbert, this is the time of year when vehicle donations spike. "Everyone is trying to donate their vehicle in time to qualify for a tax deduction before the end of the year," she said.

To donate a vehicle or get more information, visit: www.svdpusacars.com, or call (800)322-8284.

About the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

One of the largest and oldest charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (www.svdpusa.org) is an international, nonprofit, Catholic lay organization of about 800,000 men and women who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in 149 countries on five continents. SVdP was founded in Paris, France in 1833 and it spread to the U.S. in 1845. With the U.S. headquarters in St. Louis, Mo., membership in the United States totals more than 90,000 in 4,400 communities. 

SVdP offers a variety of programs and services, including: home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training and placement, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, and assistance with transportation and utility costs. SVdP works to provide care for the sick, the incarcerated and the elderly, as well as prescription medicine. 

In 2013, SVdP provided over $794 million in tangible and in-kind services to those in need, made more than 1.7 million personal visits (homes, hospitals and prisons), and helped nearly 12 million people regardless of race, religion or national origin.

For more information about this release, please contact:

Gary Stevens at (314) 576-3993 ext. 209 or (314) 378-5583 or Email

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SOURCE Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Related Links

http://www.svdpusa.org