Habitat for Humanity Car Donation Review

“That old black Escape was more than a car, it was a companion through every stage of my adult life. It kept me safe, carried my dreams, and held my stories. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

My 2002 Ford Escape was the first big thing I ever bought for myself – with a loan from my Dad, then I paid him back $700 monthly for over 18 months, it ate up nearly my whole paycheck as a new college grad. But that car meant freedom. It took me up and down California: back to UC Davis, my alma mater, on snowboarding trips to Big Bear, beach days, hiking adventures, and spontaneous drives to Vegas with my girls.

I laughed in that car, cried in it, had hard conversations, and sat in silence when life felt too heavy. It was a safe space, even for my emotional support dog found comfort in that car during my grad school years. That car carried me to my first professional job, and later, it carried my firstborn around the Bay Area. It made countless family trips to San Diego and even kept my husband safe through long commutes between L.A. and the Bay.

When we finally bought our first home, it helped move our lives there: box by box, memory by memory.

Now, after so many years, it’s hard to say goodbye. My ten-year-old even asked if we could keep it so he could fix it up and drive it someday. Part of me wants to let that dream live, but it’s time.

That old black Escape was more than a car, it was a companion through every stage of my adult life. It kept me safe, carried my dreams, and held my stories. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.

Thank You, Cosette!

Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in approximately 70 countries. Habitat’s vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat builds strength, stability and self-reliance in partnership with families in need of decent and affordable housing. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage.

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