Steve Baker

“There are a lot of people in Lehigh Acres who don’t own a car or else they have one that can’t be repaired. Because they can’t drive, they are really being put in a spot where they can’t try to find a job, get their groceries and other things,” said Steve Baker, who is heading up a project representing different organizations in Lehigh who want to do something about it.

“Move That Car” is what Baker is calling this new project and he and others who are interested in helping fellow residents.

“We are very serious in wanting to help. It’s really simple. What we are doing is asking people in Lehigh who have a car they may want to part with, to give us a call and we will come and get it and do any necessary repairs and then present it to a needy family in Lehigh,” Baker said.

Baker is active in the Lehigh Acres Kiwanis Club and also is chairman of the Kiwanis Thrift Store committee.

“There are others in the county who are asking people to donate a car and then they sell it and use the money for different purposes.

“What we want to do is get the car and have any repairs made top notch by two local mechanics who say they are happy to volunteer their services. When they are through with it, it will be given away through a local agency that will gather names of people who need a car.

“They will know the conditions of those with the greatest needs,” Baker said.

The give-away a car program can help the donor on his or her income tax returns, too, Baker explained.

It’s called the Charity Hires Agent to Operate Car Donation Program in the IRS literature.

According to Baker and information from the IRS, donors of vehicles that are donated may deduct a “fair market value” amount on their taxes.

“After the car has been repaired, we can give the person donating the car the fair market value to be used as a deduction,” Baker said.

He said someone may have an older car and wants to buy a newer model, but instead of trading it in, they may consider giving it away to our group and after any repairs, the car can be presented to someone who really has a need for transportation.

He explained that the group is not looking for old clunkers that would take a great amount of money to repair, such as replacing a transmission or an engine.

“We are looking for cars that need some work by our volunteer mechanics, some adjustments, new parts added to bring the car back to life,” he said.

If you would like to help a family in Lehigh who is having rough times and are unable to get a dependable car, and are interested in giving it to the “Move that Car” project, you can call 239-247-1400 and tell them you would like to contribute a car to the new program.

“We know how much of a good feeling you will get when you help others who can’t help themselves now because of the lack of jobs. Maybe they have lost their home and their car and they are in desperate straits, how wonderful it would be if we helped one another,” Baker went on to say.

“If we get cars that are just not repairable – and our volunteer mechanics will make that determination – then they would have to be junked, because we wouldn’t have the money to rebuild them especially if a car needs a new transmission or a complete new engine,” Baker said.

“If you think about it, too,” Baker said, “because you can deduct the ‘fair market value’ after it has been fixed by our mechanics, you could be better off at tax time than taking it out and trading in for another vehicle. It’s something to think about.”

Once the program has started with donations of vehicles, and they can include pickups, vans and automobiles, Baker will let the public know how to apply for them.

The names would be put on a list and the distribution would be handled by professionals in Lehigh who work with the needy. They would make the decisions.

“But until we get where we have some cars ready, we don’t want people calling and asking for a car. We have to get the program underway first,” he said.

“All of us see people walking the streets to get to a supermarket, riding a bike to get to a doctor’s office. It’s happening all over Lehigh. And it’s a shame and I think we and our sponsoring clubs in town can do something to make life a little easier until they can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, find a job and start over,” Baker said.

Even though the program is for the acquisition of older vehicles, Baker said others may want to donate financially for the purchase of parts to help the mechanics who will be giving all of their labor free of charge.