Sunday, April 11, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Free Charity Cars gave away more cars today!
Now I feel all warm and fuzzy.
I really like the interactive website that FCC uses to help select recipients for the cars they award. Some of how they make their choices in who is given a car has to do with factors in the application, and some of it is effected by how many cars are donated to FCC in a given area, and partly the decision is effected by the applicants all interfacing with each other on this website. Members can tell their story, read about each other, and vote to help each other get closer to having the car they really need.
As a side product of the way the project is handled, the applicants all over the country get to know each other a little bit. I'm sure many real and special friendships have been formed through this interactive social network. Most of the applicants are in a difficult spot in their lives in one way or another. Trough reading each others stories and interacting, many of the members feel less alone in their troubles, and more able to give and receive emotional support to each other.
A large focus of course is the practical reality that being a car owner often creates opportunities and facilitates taking care of themselves and their families. People who cannot afford a car have more limited opportunities for work, and often have much more difficulty taking care of basic needs. Imagine getting your groceries across town once a week, and having to take multiple buses and carry heavy bags. When I owned a car, I didn't even think about things like that-- it was a five minute, simple task. Now it is an all day affair! Interestingly, as the members commiserate, they often seem ready to share ideas and resources that may be supportive or empowering past the possibility of getting a much needed vehicle.
That's amazing.
It's also really nice to see some of the other members get awarded. It takes some time and dedication to participate in the FCC website, and can even be a it frustrating when you can't get a proper computer connection. However, when you start looking back over the status updates and see several new people that are all excited and grateful-- because someone just handed them keys and said "Here you go!" :-)
It makes me feel good to see that because I understand the difficulty of life without a car, and I'm always happy when I see someone being given an opportunity to make their life better. These things have ripple effects in communities. Suddenly one lady's daughter can join the girl scouts and get a ride from her mom, and a person who has medical problems can get to a doctor....
It's also nice to watch because it legitimizes the charity in a very real and direct way. I definitely don't mind promoting something that is helping a lot of people out! :-)
Speaking of promoting, one young woman who was just awarded a car keeps another blog about supporting FCC, check it out:
Promoting FCC Blog by MeandAleah
http://promotingfcc.blogspot.com/
I really like the interactive website that FCC uses to help select recipients for the cars they award. Some of how they make their choices in who is given a car has to do with factors in the application, and some of it is effected by how many cars are donated to FCC in a given area, and partly the decision is effected by the applicants all interfacing with each other on this website. Members can tell their story, read about each other, and vote to help each other get closer to having the car they really need.
As a side product of the way the project is handled, the applicants all over the country get to know each other a little bit. I'm sure many real and special friendships have been formed through this interactive social network. Most of the applicants are in a difficult spot in their lives in one way or another. Trough reading each others stories and interacting, many of the members feel less alone in their troubles, and more able to give and receive emotional support to each other.
A large focus of course is the practical reality that being a car owner often creates opportunities and facilitates taking care of themselves and their families. People who cannot afford a car have more limited opportunities for work, and often have much more difficulty taking care of basic needs. Imagine getting your groceries across town once a week, and having to take multiple buses and carry heavy bags. When I owned a car, I didn't even think about things like that-- it was a five minute, simple task. Now it is an all day affair! Interestingly, as the members commiserate, they often seem ready to share ideas and resources that may be supportive or empowering past the possibility of getting a much needed vehicle.
That's amazing.
It's also really nice to see some of the other members get awarded. It takes some time and dedication to participate in the FCC website, and can even be a it frustrating when you can't get a proper computer connection. However, when you start looking back over the status updates and see several new people that are all excited and grateful-- because someone just handed them keys and said "Here you go!" :-)
It makes me feel good to see that because I understand the difficulty of life without a car, and I'm always happy when I see someone being given an opportunity to make their life better. These things have ripple effects in communities. Suddenly one lady's daughter can join the girl scouts and get a ride from her mom, and a person who has medical problems can get to a doctor....
It's also nice to watch because it legitimizes the charity in a very real and direct way. I definitely don't mind promoting something that is helping a lot of people out! :-)
Speaking of promoting, one young woman who was just awarded a car keeps another blog about supporting FCC, check it out:
Promoting FCC Blog by MeandAleah
http://promotingfcc.blogspot.com/
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tips for applicants using the Free Charity Cars Site
DO as many of the things you can to gain extra votes and karma as you set up your profile and get things started. POST your story of why you need to get a car, and what has kept you unable to get one on your own. UPLOAD PICTURES- the first ten get you ten extra votes. Once you have your first 100 votes, turn your APPLICATION in, which will also get you five extra votes. PROMOTE Free Charity Cars on your social networks. If you add their link,you'll get a few extra points when people click on them and view your profile. You can also promote in other ways, such as making fliers and passing them out, and writing an email to your friends and asking them to join. MAKE A VIDEO if you can, and you'll get an extra 25 points when you upload it.
VOTE for other applicants. This increases your Karma, helps them out, and is likely to encourage them to read your story and vote for you. You can vote for as many people as you want once a day, so there's no reason not to make a bunch of new friends.
LEARN TO SPEED VOTE
Once you start to have a long list of friends, you'll find voting for all of them daily may take some time. If you have a good internet connection, you can "speed vote". You open your friends page, right click on a users name, and hit "open in new tab". Keep going down the list and right clicking on your friends, opening their profiles in new tabs. Try it with five at first to get the hang of it, and once you do you may be able to do up to 20 at once. It will turn potentially hours of voting into much less time!
VOTE for other applicants. This increases your Karma, helps them out, and is likely to encourage them to read your story and vote for you. You can vote for as many people as you want once a day, so there's no reason not to make a bunch of new friends.
LEARN TO SPEED VOTE
Once you start to have a long list of friends, you'll find voting for all of them daily may take some time. If you have a good internet connection, you can "speed vote". You open your friends page, right click on a users name, and hit "open in new tab". Keep going down the list and right clicking on your friends, opening their profiles in new tabs. Try it with five at first to get the hang of it, and once you do you may be able to do up to 20 at once. It will turn potentially hours of voting into much less time!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Free cars in Seattle and Washington State- Free Charity Car Applicant Run Promotional Campeign Proposal
Now, I'm a very new member of the Free Charity Cars network, but many things have become clear very quickly. It is very possible to get awarded a free car if you are in a situation of need; but getting chosen when one comes up is dependent on a variety of factors.
One obvious factor is how many cars in a given area become available vs how many applicants. When more cars are donated in a particular area, more may be available. Free Charity Cars encourages the applicants, and anyone else who sees the worthiness of the cause, to promote the charity. I know, in this part of the beginning of the internet age, we're all probably getting sick of anything that sounds like "promote my site" , " donate to this cause" , join this, click that, and have some spam for lunch. However- this one actually IS worth the time.
I'm sure I'm not the first member involved with FCC to think of this, but since I'm up in Seattle... if any of the other applicants in this geographical area are interested in working on a project together to promote FCC, I'd be very interested in trying to arrange some kind of get together to talk about it. Obviously, all of us have transportation issues... but some of the bus routes in this city run very well...and we could meet up at a place along one of the major lines.
If anyone is interested, please send me a message. And if you're one of the Seattle and Washington folks who are applying, feel free to leave your story in the comments on this post. If I come up with a flier about FCC I'll list this blog as well--- and potential donors may run across out collective set of pleas for assistance in this really screwed up economic climate. Realizing that it's their neighbors in a community they are donating their used vehicles, time or money to may help others see why it would be such an amazing help in someone's lives.
Users from other area's are also welcome to post their stories and user names in the comments on this post. For once, it makes total sense to pass the word on, it could benefit a lot of people in life altering ways.
One obvious factor is how many cars in a given area become available vs how many applicants. When more cars are donated in a particular area, more may be available. Free Charity Cars encourages the applicants, and anyone else who sees the worthiness of the cause, to promote the charity. I know, in this part of the beginning of the internet age, we're all probably getting sick of anything that sounds like "promote my site" , " donate to this cause" , join this, click that, and have some spam for lunch. However- this one actually IS worth the time.
I'm sure I'm not the first member involved with FCC to think of this, but since I'm up in Seattle... if any of the other applicants in this geographical area are interested in working on a project together to promote FCC, I'd be very interested in trying to arrange some kind of get together to talk about it. Obviously, all of us have transportation issues... but some of the bus routes in this city run very well...and we could meet up at a place along one of the major lines.
If anyone is interested, please send me a message. And if you're one of the Seattle and Washington folks who are applying, feel free to leave your story in the comments on this post. If I come up with a flier about FCC I'll list this blog as well--- and potential donors may run across out collective set of pleas for assistance in this really screwed up economic climate. Realizing that it's their neighbors in a community they are donating their used vehicles, time or money to may help others see why it would be such an amazing help in someone's lives.
Users from other area's are also welcome to post their stories and user names in the comments on this post. For once, it makes total sense to pass the word on, it could benefit a lot of people in life altering ways.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Real People who got Awarded Real Free Cars from Free Charity Cars!
Here's another you tube video that promotes FCC. I really liked watching this one- seeing that other people have gotten help from FCC makes me more hopeful that I might be one of the lucky applicants one day. It also makes it more real, I think, for anyone considering a donation- to put faces and people's lives in the perspective of a charitable donation.
This video was made by " Crystal84 " , a FCC member. Even if you don't have a vehicle or money to donate, you can help out by going to the site, reading the stories of hopeful applicants, and voting to help them get a car. Time is valuable, and the time you could spend promoting this charity and supporting the members is also a wonderful gift.
Please come be my friend on FCC, vote for as many applicants as you can, and make it your random act of kindness today. :-)
This video was made by " Crystal84 " , a FCC member. Even if you don't have a vehicle or money to donate, you can help out by going to the site, reading the stories of hopeful applicants, and voting to help them get a car. Time is valuable, and the time you could spend promoting this charity and supporting the members is also a wonderful gift.
Please come be my friend on FCC, vote for as many applicants as you can, and make it your random act of kindness today. :-)
Promoting Free Charity Cars With Online Video's
For Free Charity Cars to be able to help people who are really in need of a car, there have to be lot's of car and financial donations from those who are in a position to give. If you have a car you don't really need, you can get a -huge- tax write off, and help someone whose life may totally change because of your gift. Please think about it!
If you're an FCC applicant, you can help promote Free Charity Cars by making a video and posting it to You Tube and other places on the net. It's another way to earn a few extra votes, and may well encourage people to support free charity cars- making you closer to the car you want and need.
Here's a great example of a home made promotional video for FCC set to music from "Les Miserables", sung by Susan Boyle. This video was made by " theagirls25 " , who was awarded a FREE CAR which she and her family desperately needed.
If you haven't signed up yet, please stop by and be my friends on Free Charity Cars. :-)
If you're an FCC applicant, you can help promote Free Charity Cars by making a video and posting it to You Tube and other places on the net. It's another way to earn a few extra votes, and may well encourage people to support free charity cars- making you closer to the car you want and need.
Here's a great example of a home made promotional video for FCC set to music from "Les Miserables", sung by Susan Boyle. This video was made by " theagirls25 " , who was awarded a FREE CAR which she and her family desperately needed.
If you haven't signed up yet, please stop by and be my friends on Free Charity Cars. :-)
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