Totaled Prius for Disabled Home
Tax deductible
One of my two sons, Andrew Schmitz has Down Syndrome and is 41 years old. He lives with three other individuals with intellectual disabilities at a home, run by Helping Hands for the Disabled (Burien, WA, www.hhftd.org). In early 2016, my wife and I donated our reliable 2007 Prius, which gave Andrew's home staff reliable transportatioHelping Hands for the Disabled (Burien, WA) n until....it was rear-ended by a BMW during a rainy December 1st in Bellevue, WA. Although no major injuries occurred, the Prius (which just had its 90,000 service done three days before, was declared totaled.
Now, Helping Hands must look for a reliable replacement car, as staff must take house residents to buy groceries, doctor's appointments, social activities, work, and my son Andrew's favorite activity, doing pizza runs.
Last year, the Prius we donated was worth about $8600 on the form used for donations. It was a 2007, with about 70,000 miles on it, and it was well equipped, including airbags and a backup camera, but not much else. Oh, it also had a superb engine, which at this point will probably be cannibalized to be transferred to a Prius taxi to serve our local airport. Sad. It was a great car. A new Prius would cost over $23,000, which we are not asking for, but if one of you is so inclined to fulfill that, we will not stand in your way.
Helping Hand's caregivers are a dedicated group of people working at wages which will never be Amazon/Microsoft grade, but they get it. They have an important job to do, assisting four good souls with disabilities who otherwise could be in harm's way. There is no funding available for the caregivers to use their own cars, which, given their own demographic, are in somewhat of a compromised state. This is just the nature of things.
So, funds are needed soon.
To all who read this, thanks very much for considering a well-meaning parent's request to help provide a practical solution to a problem which suddenly emerged from behind, on a sloppy, rainy night in the Puget Sound area.
Nelson and Susan Schmitz, parents of Andrew Schmitz, a guy with Down Syndrome whose life has been thus far, shepherded by good-natured people who know what is important.
Now, Helping Hands must look for a reliable replacement car, as staff must take house residents to buy groceries, doctor's appointments, social activities, work, and my son Andrew's favorite activity, doing pizza runs.
Last year, the Prius we donated was worth about $8600 on the form used for donations. It was a 2007, with about 70,000 miles on it, and it was well equipped, including airbags and a backup camera, but not much else. Oh, it also had a superb engine, which at this point will probably be cannibalized to be transferred to a Prius taxi to serve our local airport. Sad. It was a great car. A new Prius would cost over $23,000, which we are not asking for, but if one of you is so inclined to fulfill that, we will not stand in your way.
Helping Hand's caregivers are a dedicated group of people working at wages which will never be Amazon/Microsoft grade, but they get it. They have an important job to do, assisting four good souls with disabilities who otherwise could be in harm's way. There is no funding available for the caregivers to use their own cars, which, given their own demographic, are in somewhat of a compromised state. This is just the nature of things.
So, funds are needed soon.
To all who read this, thanks very much for considering a well-meaning parent's request to help provide a practical solution to a problem which suddenly emerged from behind, on a sloppy, rainy night in the Puget Sound area.
Nelson and Susan Schmitz, parents of Andrew Schmitz, a guy with Down Syndrome whose life has been thus far, shepherded by good-natured people who know what is important.
Organizer
Nelson Schmitz
Organizer
Maple Valley, WA
Helping Hands for the Disabled
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
