Mission Statement
The mission of the Cars 4 Missouri Donated Car Program Network (C4MO) is to help increase access to personal vehicles and affordable automotive services that help to serve low-income residents and families that are transportation challenged and live in select Missouri communities and counties that are striving to become self-sufficient.
Statement of Need
Anthony E. Conway C4MO Program Director
The lack of transportation is a barrier that stymies the ability of those individuals and families in Mid-Missouri that are striving to become self-reliant and maintain their independence. In most cases a reliable vehicle is the only real solution.
Anthony Conway accepts a award for Cars 4 Columbia.
Anthony gives keys to a recipient.
The Lack Of Reliable Transportation Is A Barrier
You may have heard about donated car programs before. However, the Cars 4 Columbia (C4C) and Cars 4 Jefferson City Programs (C4JC) differ from most because we don’t just sell donated cars at auto auctions to raise funds. Instead, the programs are community service programs that place refurbished, donated cars into the hands of qualified low-income residents and families in Mid-Missouri striving to become self-sufficient.
Transportation is the key to a person’s quality of life. The lack of transportation disrupts the daily functions of doctors, hospitals, healthcare services and human service organizations when people can’t get to appointments or treatments. Government agencies acknowledge that transportation issues are a severe handicap in their quest to assist disadvantaged residents. Corrections agencies acknowledge that transportation is critical to successful re-entry and hampers the ability of many ex-offenders to meet mandatory obligations or maintain employment.
Employers have rejected qualified applicants due to their lack of transportation. Employees who lack reliable transportation have quit or been fired due to their inability to get to work or for consistently being late. The programs increase access to services that expand the service capacity of organizations by enhancing their ability to resolve the wide array of the mobility issues that their clients face.
For parents the lack of personal transportation is taxing. Getting children to and from day care and school events, doctor’s appointments and meeting basic family needs without transportation can be extremely difficult. Human and social service organizations and health-care providers and government agencies confirm that their many of their clients have an obvious need for reliable transportation.
Transportation is a necessity that those of us who own a vehicle take for granted. For those individuals who depend on public transportation, it can be challenging to maintain a schedule. Transportation is often the elusive piece of the puzzle that hinders the ability of local non-profit, government and human service organizations who are dedicated to serving disadvantaged members of the community. In most cases a reliable vehicle is the only real solution.