Car Donation Charities and Car Donation Charity Scandals

There are many ways and many reasons to get rid of or sell your car.  One option is you could go through the lengthy and complicated process of selling your car privately to a complete stranger.  However, as mentioned in “Don’t Help Terrorists! Sell Your Car Correctly” – that could be perilous.   A second option is to trade it in and receive a lower value toward a new vehicle, but that is a rip off.  Another option is donating your old car to a charity, which is an option many kind-hearted individuals decide upon.  Today, I wanted to take a moment to discuss this option. 

Charity Scandals

Recently, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has conducted an industry wide investigation into car donation charities.  He just started this examination, and has already found a heart breaking scandal.  It seems that the charity called “Hope for the Disabled Kids, Inc” has been duping its donors and disabled kids for years to the tune of over $2 million dollars.  Shoba Bakhsh, the owner/CEO, instead of helping the children her charity claims to aid, lavished her family with real estate in Florida, paid off Macy’s credit cards, paid off tuition for her own children’s schooling, and has over $250,000 in her personal checking account.

 Her website, which has been removed from the internet, claimed the following 

• Donations will “be used to benefit disabled children by purchasing medical equipment”
• Donations will “help pay for medical expenses for families who are unable to afford them”
• Donations will “purchase book, toys, games and food during the holidays to distribute to children in hospitals” 

In my opinion this is one of the worst crimes a human can commit.  Think of the assistance she could have given to the countless children who need a wheelchair to move, an apparatus to breathe, a blood testing kit to eat.  This woman had children of her own too, which makes this crime even sicker.  How could she not see the needs of disabled children through her own able-bodied children, and further, how could she ignore them?  My heart broke when I read this story because some one else who will read this story may not donate to charity now.  This woman not only didn’t care about ruining a charitable industry’s good name, which has far reaching implications, but also ignored disabled children.  Who does that?  What a monster. 

Don’t stop donating cars to charity though

This blog is more of an outlet to vent about such a despicable crime, and I invite you to share your venting in the comments field below.  This is not an all out attack on charitable organizations.  God knows we need all the charity we can muster.  I just wanted my readers and fellow car enthusiasts to know that homework is now required from donors; know who you are donating to, and what they have previously put donations toward.