Have you ever had a car that’s like a family member? Joey’s car—an old, gold grandpa-esque car with a loud, squeaky wheel—had been in our lives since we met in 2011. In fact, it was the car driven on our first date. It was well loved, well used, but getting old and needed work. Fast forward 8 years, one marriage, two homes, one baby, and still the car was with us. Sadly, it wasn’t drivable and just took up space in our driveway.
Imagine our excitement when we learned that Tamarack Camps now accepts car donations. And, we were even more thrilled to realize that it was actually very simple to donate!
Once we knew Tamarack was accepting car donations, there was never a question of what to do with the car that was no longer starting in our driveway. Both of us are alumni of Tamarack and believe in the power of Jewish camping. We have seen firsthand the impact camp has on our community’s children.
Now more than ever, camp is important for children. When we were growing up, camp was an opportunity to gain independence, learn new skills, and have a blast with our friends. Camp of course is still all those things, but even more so now, it is the opportunity to unplug.
“Unplugging” at camp when we were children meant leaving our video and computer games behind for a few weeks. Now when children unplug at camp, it means something very different. They are leaving social media behind.
We are proud to help send kids to an environment where they can be themselves without the social pressure of finding the best selfie angle or photo filter. We are proud to help send kids to a place where it is cool to get dirty, wear silly clothes, and just be their authentic self.
Sending your child to camp is expensive. Finances should never be the reason a family chooses not to send their child to a Jewish camp. With the help of our generous community, Tamarack Camps gives scholarships to a significant portion of campers. We help by donating annually to the Send a Kid to Tamarack Campaign. Now with the new car donation, we can make an even bigger impact on the Jewish children in our community.
In addition to feeling good about giving back to the camp that gave us so much, the donation company made it so easy! The car we were donating was falling apart and would no longer start. We went online and filled out the donation form at night. They called us first thing in the morning to discuss logistics. They came to our house and towed the car away. We left the keys and the necessary paperwork in the car. We didn’t even have to be home to wait around for them. It was so convenient!
If you have a car that you are willing to donate, whether it starts or not, please consider gifting the proceeds to Tamarack Camps. Join us by giving our Jewish children the opportunity to experience a summer at camp!