Free Cars For Low Income Families

There are many programs that offer free cars for low income families, and free car repairs for low income families. Sadly they don’t tell people who need this most. I am not sure why they keep these things such a big secret with so many people in need. Not owning a car is tough. Everyday things are a hassle such as: making it to work on time, grocery shopping, picking up your child from school when they are sick, Dr. appointments, the list goes on. Public transportation is scary especially with small children. Not only that, it takes up a lot of time. With that being said I have decided to take it upon myself and find this information and share it with the world in hopes to help people who truly need a car. 

There is help out there if you qualify. Please take the time to make phone calls, write letters and search all the resources I have listed for you. I have spent countless hours finding as much information as I can to help those in need, because I know what it’s like to be poor and not to have a car and other important necessities. Car distributions are reserved for households without a car, not families wanting a second car or young adults considered as dependents.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

With so many people in need these days and a car being a very important necessity they now have more and more programs popping up to help families get a car who otherwise could not afford one. If you qualify for a car from a charity, you don’t have to pay for the car.  It will be donated to your family free of charge.

If you are a low income  family you may be eligible to receive a free, discount car and/or car repairs from a nonprofit organization or car charity organization.  If so, the car you will receive will be absolutely free because someone special with a huge heart has already donated it, just for someone like you. 

Common Qualifications for a Free Car from Charities:

• Low income
• Victims of natural disaster
• Families living in transitional living shelters
• Families transitioning from public assistance to work
• Victims of domestic violence
• Medically needy
• Military families in need
• Non-profit organizations
• Charities

If you know of any resources you would like to share please let me know and I will be happy to add it to the list. I will continually add to this page as I find more resources. I wish you all the best in finding the help you need.

Nationwide

1. Online Car Donation – has provided thousands of free cars to families in need as well as social service agencies and numerous charitable organizations. DO NOT CALL TO ASK FOR HELP! If you would like to apply for a free vehicle click here and explain your situation in the provided form. If they select you to receive a vehicle they will contact you.
2. With Causes Charitable Network offers vehicles to those with low income and other qualifications. DO NOT CALL TO ASK FOR HELP! Complete their form and they will get back to you. Click here.
3. 1-800-Charity Cars provides free vehicles to a wide array of clients such as: victims of domestic violence, medically needy, natural disaster victims, families transitioning from public assistance to work, families living in transitional living shelters, the working poor, non-profit organizations, and more. Click here to apply.
4. Opportunity Cars – The website is no longer working. Carolyn Hayden, Director Opportunity Car Opportunity Cars www.opportunitycars.com email – info@opportunitycars.com
5. Modest Needs – helps with assistance for car repair. Click here to sign up and find more information on this program.

Alabama

1. Caring Cars Program Alabama (Madison County) provides cars to low income families for job transportation. This program is for families who cannot afford to buy a car or cannot qualify for a traditional car loan. Each family receiving a car will be charged a small down payment and small monthly payments at 0% interest to cover program costs. Approval is based on need. Applicants must meet all of the requirements to be eligible. Click here.

California

1. Irvine Car Ministry (Irvine California) helps to create hope to deserving persons with a donated car. Supports those in need through the various Mariners Outreach Ministries. Click here for more information.
2. The Benevolence Program Mike Rose’s Auto Body, Inc. has joined with other members of the community along with their insurance partners, to present the Benevolence Program. The Benevolence Program is a community relations program whose mission is to: Present refurbished “new” used cars to deserving individuals or organizations during the holiday season. Click here for more information.

Colorado

1. Good News Garage program of Lutheran Social Services with operations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont provides affordable and reliable transportation options for people in need. Click here to read more.
2. Cars for Charity (Non-profit organizations only) is a non-profit organization that helps other non-profit organizations to have an in-house vehicle because they financially are unable to spend the money. Click here.

Florida

1. Car Care Ministry (Cape Coral FL, at Cape Coral Campus) serves the needs of Widows and Single Moms with children, by blessing them with a free oil change and 16 point vehicle inspection 3 times a year; at the Cape Coral Campus. Click here for more information and how to apply.
2. FLORIDA Citrus Cars (No Link) addresses transportation needs for people who are leaving welfare for work. Only qualified residents can will be able to lease a good used car for a small monthly free. They are required to retain employment, and maintain automobile insurance, and after two years of successful participation they gain ownership of the car. To qualify, you must apply at one of Polk Works’ One-Stop Career Centers in Lakeland, Winter Haven or Lake Wales, meet income requirements and prove that not having reliable transportation is a barrier to getting a job. For more information call 863-683-5627 ext. 130.

Indiana

1. Grace Care Center offers Repairs and vehicles to those who qualify. By appointment only. To find out how to  qualify click here.

Illinois

1. C.A.R.S. Ministry over the last 20+ years, the C.A.R.S. (Christian Auto Repairmen Serving) Ministry of Willow Creek Community Church has provided reliable transportation to thousands of qualified single moms in their community. Reliable vehicles and auto repairs free-of-charge, helping single parents and their families gain independence and opportunity. Click here for more details.
2. Car Ministry (Chicagoland ,IL Area) distributes donated vehicles to needy families in the Chicagoland area. Click here for more information on this program.
3. Car Ministry Harvest Bible Chapel offers a car-servicing ministry for their single parents or others who are going through a financially challenging season. Click here for more information.
4. Heartland Cars Ministry helps those in need receive dependable transportation to help them get to work, church, doctor appointments, school, and daycare. Click here for more information.

Maryland

1. Vehicles For Change (Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC) receives car donations and then award them at affordable prices to eligible families in need in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC area. To qualify for a vehicle, you must meet their basic criteria. Click here to find out more on the programs they offer.
2. Car Care Ministry (Owings, Maryland) offers oil changes for single women, single parents and widows. One Saturday every 3 months they offer a free oil change and cursory safety inspection. If you are interested in being served by this ministry, please sign up at the Welcome Center in the west lobby.  Click here for more information.
3. Cars for Careers operates in cooperation with the Howard County social services community providing cars for low-income families. Call 410-418-5310 for more information.

Massachusetts

1. Good News Garage operates car donation programs giving cars to low income families in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Click here for more information.

Minnesota

1. Auto Technical (Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties) helps to provide low cost cars for low income families. Click here for more information. Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties areas.
2. Wheel Get There program supplies low cost vehicles to people with low income from vehicles they receive as donations. Click here for more information.

New Jersey

1. Cars for Success offers donated vehicles that are then given directly to needy families living in the Strengthen Our Sisters shelter. Click here for more information.
2. CARS  Ministry is a self-supporting ministry of Princeton Alliance Church designed to provide vehicles to single moms and families in need. Click here for more information and how to apply.

New York

Wheels for Work (Tioga County, NY) helps low-income Tioga County families get or maintain a reliable car needed to maintain employment. Assists with car loans, car insurance, car repairs, defensive driving course fee, and driver’s education fee. Family needs to be TANF qualified, 21+ yrs, have a qualifying child in the house, working at least 25 hr/wk, be the owner of the vehicle, and have a “clean” valid driver’s license. Contact: Patty Porter, Coordinator 607-414-1023 or Email: pporter@dor.org

Wheels to Work (Otsego County, NY) is a transportation assistance program designed to support income eligible households in acquiring safe, reliable transportation. Click here for more information.

North Carolina

1. Car Ministry helps provide low income families a suitable vehicle. They consider application letters from people in the community who are going through a challenging life situation and are without a vehicle for transportation. Click here to apply.
2. Wheels For Hope is operated on a volunteer basis and provides low income families with reliable, affordable cars. Click here to apply.

Ohio

1. Christian Auto Redemption (Miami County or limited Montgomery County zip codes of 45406, 45416, 45414, 45377 and 45426.) The C.A.R. ministry accepts donated vehicles, repairs them and in turn donates them to families who have worked hard in the C.A.R. Program. Click here for more information.

 Pennsylvania

1. Community Auto (Allegheny, Butler or Beaver Counties) NHCO’s Community Auto program makes vehicle ownership affordable to low-income individuals and families experiencing economic hardship. Applicants must be residents of Allegheny, Butler or Beaver counties in Pennsylvania and work a minimum of 25 hours a week or have a hire letter in hand, dependent children in the home, need a vehicle for work and perform basic, daily functions such as grocery shopping and getting children to school, day care and medical appointments and so on. Click here.
2. Grace Car Ministry (York County, PA) donates cars to needy families within York County. They only place between 10 and 15 cars each year. They help typically, single mothers with one or two children trying to support a family on a minimum wage salary. People who have lost their job and are looking for a job but their car has died and they have no where to turn. People who are just starting to see the light at the end of the financial tunnel, but their car seems to consume any extra cash due to repairs. Click here to find out how to apply.

Tennessee

1. First Wheels Loan Program has been expanded to working Food Stamp families with children and low-income child care assistance. The First Wheels Program is a loan program for the purchase of automobiles. An automobile loan with no interest or finance charges. An automobile loan program with low monthly payments and requiring no down payment. For more information call (731) 687-4222.

Texas

1. Grace Point Car Ministry (San Antonio, TX) does not offer free cars for low income families but instead they offer Oil changes, Brake jobs, Tune ups, and Batteries. Click here to read more.

Virginia

1. The Car Ministry offers low income, full-time ministry workers like pastors, evangelists, missionaries and other Christian workers to obtain a car. Click here.

 West Virginia

1. Good News Mountaineer Garage offers donated cars to low income families. Click here for more information on how to apply.

Wisconsin

1. Fond du Lac County Gift of Wheels provides low-cost, reliable used cars to Wisconsin W-2 eligible families to help them get and keep jobs. Click here for more information.
2. WINR Donated Wheels Program provides donated vehicles to income eligible families who need reliable personal transportation to gain, retain or improve their employment status. Call 920-236-0131 or email at winr@execpc.com.
3. JumpStart Wheels to Opportunity is available to residents in Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Pepin, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties. JumpStart assists eligible, low-income families in buying a reliable car for work or employment training. Click here for more information on how to apply.

Misc.

Find out whats wrong with your car or how to fix it? Click here for more information.

Auto Zone has a program called Loan A Tool where borrow tools. You can also get free repair booklets at Auto Zone. Also check out their Repair Help page.

FREE Gas

FREE Gas USA is a nonprofit gasoline grant assistance provider. You must be low income and are a United States citizen in need of gasoline to drive to work, medical appointments, school, grocery shopping, etc. Grants are awarded monthly to pre-qualified candidates based on your level of income, need, circumstance and the availability of grant funding. To find out if you qualify for a grant, please read all of the instructions on their website before you attempt to submit your application. Click here.