Donate Your Car … It’s Easy

Longtime Gulfport Resident is First to Donate Her Car to Support the Foundation

When Barbara D read in The Gabber that the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation now accepts donations of cars, trucks, RVs and boats, it wasn’t long before she called the Foundation office to donate her 2001 Buick Century.

She had inherited a newer car from her sister, so she was ready to part with the car she bought in 2001 when it had only 1,100 miles. Even though she still drove the Buick every day, Barbara said she was concerned that it might start to need expensive repairs now that it had reached the 20-year mark.

“It’s amazing how easy this was,” Barbara said. “I don’t know what it’s worth. I didn’t want to haggle over the price.” This is an amazing service for older people who need to dispose of their cars, she added. Foundation Office Manager Amy Oatley helped Barbara complete the CARS donation form online. “If it hadn’t been for Amy’s help, it wouldn’t have been so easy.”

Learn how you can donate a car, truck, RV or boat HERE.

A resident of Gulfport since 1953, Barbara moved here with her mother and sister to escape from the Pennsylvania cold. While exploring the area, they followed a sign for the beach and ended up in Gulfport. After a swim in Boca Ciega Bay, they spotted a For Sale sign and, as they say, the rest is history.

Her mother purchased a house on Beach Boulevard across from an expanse of vacant land that was nothing but “Australian Pines and sandspurs.” They moved in over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Eventually, the Gulfport Senior Center and the Catherine Hickman Theater were built right across the street. Retired after 36 years working at the power company, Barbara is a regular at the Senior Fitness Center. All the Fitness Center equipment has been donated by the Foundation.

“The Foundation does so much for the community,” she said. “This is my little way of helping out.”

For information about donating a car to support the Gulfport Senior Center Foundation, call the Foundation office at 727-893-1244 or visit www.donatecarsforseniors.org. The vehicle donation program is operated in partnership with C.A.R.S., a national nonprofit organization. A C.A.R.S. representative will contact donors to complete the donation process, answer questions and explain the possible tax benefits.