Seniors! Donate Your Car and Create Your Legacy!
A Heartfelt Invitation to Illinois Seniors Who Want Their Car to Mean Something More
For many Illinois seniors, a car has been more than transportation. It has been a companion through decades of errands, church gatherings, grandkids’ events, medical appointments, road trips, late-night emergencies, and small everyday moments that stitched together the story of life. But there comes a moment when your automobile is no longer your life companion. It sits silently in a parking space.
But what if your story together isn’t finished?
What if your car could take on one more purpose—a purpose capable of lifting someone out of hardship?
Seniors Can Donate Their Car to Cars of Hope
We are a 501(c)(3) volunteer-run organization founded in 2010. We are built and led by people just like you—seniors who understand the value of what you’ve taken care of, worked hard for, and hope to leave behind.
And today, we invite you to consider something extraordinary:
Let your car become part of your legacy
Let it become the turning point in the story of a single mother, abandoned with children, living in a suburb where buses don’t run, and the nearest job, school, or medical clinic is miles away.
Your car can become the bridge to her new beginning.
Make a Difference for Single Mothers with No Way Forward
Across Illinois—from Chicago to Aurora, Rockford to Naperville, Elgin to Joliet, Waukegan to Arlington Heights, Evanston to Schaumburg—there are families trapped not by their choices, but by their circumstances.
We see it every week.
A young mother, unexpectedly abandoned by her partner.
A domestic-violence survivor rebuilding her life from scratch.
A newly arrived immigrant woman who escaped danger only to face another crisis: no transportation in an area without public transit.
In Chicagoland’s suburbs, not having a car often means:
- No job
- No daycare
- No school transportation
- No medical access
- No ability to move to safer housing
- No chance to start over
The world becomes impossibly small when you cannot get anywhere.
These mothers are referred to COH only after being thoroughly vetted through reputable charitable organizations—organizations that know them personally, walk alongside them, and verify the depth of their need. COH does not accept walk-in or online car requests.
We only place vehicles through trusted social-service partners.
Our Partners Refer Single Mothers for Senior Cars
We are careful caretakers of all our resources, and particularly, the cars we receive as donations. Should you donate your car to Cars of Hope, our partnering social service agencies will place it with a family who will find it life-changing in their specific situation.
We are grateful to our network of partners who refer deserving clients to us for car donations. They include:
Safe Families for Children Chicago, IL
Hesed House – Aurora, IL
Lazarus House – St. Charles, IL
ECFA Counseling Center – Wheaton, IL
Mutual Ground – Aurora, IL
Fellowship Housing – Hoffman Estates, IL
Kendall County Health Department – Yorkville, IL
Viator House – Des Plaines, IL
Kan-Win – Chicago, IL
Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence (BFEE) – Batavia, IL
Sarah’s Inn – Forest Park, IL
West Suburban Food Pantry – Woodridge, IL
Joliet Disability Resource Center – Joliet, IL
Zion Covenant Church International – Wheaton, IL
Will County Center for Community Concerns – Joliet, IL
Village Church of Barrington – Barrington, IL
Beds Plus – La Grange, IL
Lutheran Church Charities – Northbrook, IL
These are respected organizations serving the most vulnerable families in Illinois.
When they refer a mother or family, it means the hardship is real. It means hope is needed—urgently.
And this is where your car becomes part of something greater than itself.
Senior-Donated Vehicles Are Uniquely Valuable
After 15 years of receiving vehicles of every type, COH has learned something unmistakable:
Cars donated by seniors are the best vehicles we receive because they reflect care and pride in maintaining them.
They are:
- Maintained regularly
- Driven gently
- Serviced consistently
- Kept clean and mechanically sound
- Cared for with pride and responsibility
When COH volunteers see a senior-donated vehicle arrive, they breathe a sigh of relief because they know:
“This one can help a family immediately.”
Your car doesn’t have to be new. It just needs to have been loved.
And seniors do that better than anyone.
Donating Your Car is Difficult. We Understand.
You may be thinking:
“I’ve had this car for years. It feels personal to give it away.”
“What if it ends up in the wrong hands?”
“Who will make sure the paperwork is correct?”
“Will I still be liable after they take it?”
“Is this really going to help someone?”
COH understands all of this because:
Most of our board members are seniors themselves.
They know the emotional weight of parting with something meaningful.
Many of our volunteers are seniors.
They have stood exactly where you stand today—wanting assurance and clarity.
We handle everything.
All paperwork.
Title transfer.
Scheduling.
Free pickup from your home.
A full tax receipt.
And full liability transfer immediately once COH receives the vehicle.
You are covered. You are respected. You are supported by people your age who care about your concerns.
It Begins With a Professional, Bumper-to-Bumper Assessment
Before any vehicle is placed with a vetted family, COH sends it to professional auto repair shops that donate or discount their expertise for this mission.
These certified shops perform:
- Complete bumper-to-bumper inspections
- Full safety analysis
- Brake checks
- Suspension testing
- Engine and transmission assessment
- Tire and alignment evaluation
- Emissions system verification
- Mechanical reliability testing
If a repair is needed, it is done by professional auto technicians—never volunteers—because safety is not optional.
A family in crisis must receive a vehicle they can trust.
This is why senior-donated cars mean so much. They are often already in good condition and require far fewer repairs, allowing COH to place them quickly with families who desperately need them.
Your Car Goes to Someone Truly in Need
COH does not accept online applications from the public.
We do not advertise vehicles.
We do not hand out cars based on who asks first.
Every recipient is referred through professional caseworkers at our partnering social service organizations. These agencies walk closely with each family to understand the financial, emotional, and logistical needs of the people they refer. They have given thought to how a car will affect their clients’ and their childrens’ lives.
By the time the referral reaches COH, the referring social service agency has already done the following:
- Vetted the family
- Performed background checks
- Provided counseling
- Seen that the family is responsible
- Confirmed the need for a vehicle
- Determined the worthiness of a car to the family
- Helped establish a plan for stability
This system is why COH donors trust us. We take your donation seriously, and our work through our social services partners protects your gift and the mission, as well as the family that receives the vehicle.
A Senior Donor’s Legacy Lives On in Each Family’s Story
Now and then, a story arrives that touches our hearts deeply. The name has been changed in this story, but the story is real.
Anna, a mother of two, was abandoned by her partner without warning. Every morning, she had to get her two children to grade school, then get to work herself. She had no car and no bus line near her home, but she needed a vehicle to get to work, which was nearly ten miles away.
Every morning, after dropping the children off at school, Anna walked 47 minutes to reach the closest bus stop—only to arrive at work both late and exhausted. Anna would sneak into the office, hoping no one would notice her tardiness, but no such luck. Her boss warned her that if she didn’t start showing up on time, she would soon be looking for another job.
At the end of the day, Anna reversed the process. She returned home long after her children did, leaving them unattended for part of the day. Some days, she had doctor’s appointments for a chronic condition. On those days, her schedule was even more complicated because she had to take another bus route to the opposite side of town to see her specialist.
When a COH senior donor in Naperville donated their old minivan to Cars of Hope, we knew it would change someone’s life immediately. It had been lovingly maintained for over 14 years and was already a safe, reliable car. Luckily, one of our partners referred Anna to us. Her entire life turned around within weeks:
- She kept her job.
- She was able to be home for her children after school and help them with their homework, which noticeably improved their grades.
- She attended medical appointments on time.
- She saved money because groceries and essentials suddenly became more easily accessible.
- She gained dignity, and with it, hope.
This is what donating your car can do.
It’s not just a donation.
It’s a lifeline.
It is the final chapter of your car’s story—and the first chapter of someone else’s.
COH’s Donation Process is Simple and Senior-Friendly
Here is exactly what happens when you decide to donate:
- Contact COH—online or by phone.
A friendly volunteer guides you gently through the process.
- COH schedules a free pickup right from your home.
You do not have to get the car to us. We pick up the car at your home at no cost to you. Does your car no longer run? We will still accept it as we sell cars at auction or for parts to raise money to restore more cars.
- COH handles every piece of paperwork.
You simply sign the required documents—we take care of the rest.
- Liability transfers to COH the moment the car is picked up.
You are fully protected from that moment on.
- The car is sent to a professional auto repair shop for inspection and repair.
The car may be found ready for donation or in need of some repairs. We have partner repair shops that help with this part of the process.
- A vetted family is selected through one of our partner agencies.
Your car will go to a family who will experience a life- changing moment from your generosity that will become part of your legacy!
- You receive your tax receipt.
You will be able to claim a tax deduction for the market value of your vehicle if we can donate it to someone in the community. We issue receipts as a classified 501(c)(3) charity organization.
Your part in the process is simple, but your impact is profound.
Seniors Can Donate Cars Throughout Chicagoland
The senior spirit of generosity and service is the backbone of COH. And now, once again, seniors are the ones with the most remarkable ability to transform local families.
Know that when you donate a car to Cars of Hope, your donation stays local. Your legacy strengthens your community. And your compassion becomes your city’s hope.
This is how donating a car to Cars of Hope can build your legacy.
Your car can help someone within your own region. That is powerful. That is personal. That is legacy.
A Final Word to the Seniors of Illinois
You have lived generously and worked hard. You have guided families, contributed to your communities, and shaped the lives around you.
Now, you have an opportunity to shape the future of a mother you may never meet—but whose life will be forever changed because of you.
Your car has stories. It carried you safely through thousands of days on countless roadtrips, perhaps building memories with your children. Now, let your car create memories for another family.
Let it now carry someone else into a safer tomorrow.
Let your legacy travel farther than you ever imagined.
Let your kindness have wheels.
Ready to Begin?
COH makes it simple for Seniors across Illinois to donate their car with Cars of Hope.
Visit CarsOfHope.org or call 224-216-CARS to begin the senior-friendly donation process.
Your story continues.
Your car can change a life.
Pass hope forward—with Cars of Hope.