Get free cars and automobiles from Opportunity Cars.

Over 150 charities, non profit agencies, and government organizations have joined together to form Opportunity Cars. The charity program helps people in need by offering free or discounted cars, low interest loans so people can buy a car, or they help people save for a car by providing matching grants.

The primary goal of Opportunity Cars is to increase the level of private automobile ownership for low income, working families. The automobiles provided are meant to help people find and keep quality jobs. These free and discounted car programs promote both job security and economic well being by distributing the cars directly to families, providing very low-interest loans that are to be used for car purchases, and they will also facilitate matched savings that are to be used for car down payments and purchases of automobiles.

These programs were created in the mid 1990s. While they do use a number of different approaches for increasing the level of car ownership, these programs will also generally help lower wage families and individuals acquire reliable used vehicles, such as cars, trucks, and vans.  The programs want to reduce transportation-related barriers to someone find a job or keeping the work, and they also want to improve overall mobility for low income families. Other organizations exist that provide free gasoline.

How do free car programs work?

There are a few different ways that the car ownership programs operate across the country. Typically they use one of the following three approaches in try to help people obtain transportation.

• They organization will obtain reliable used cars from donations and other means. They will then  either sell for a low price or give the car away, for free, to program recipients.
   
• The group will assist potential automobile recipients and help them save for a car. They will support and help them to save for the purchase, and a key being the program will match their savings with funds from other sources. So if a person saves $500, the group will match some or all of that $500.
   
• Applicants to the program can receive a low interest rate, subsidized loans. This is also available for people with poor credit. The loan is to be used for a car purchase.

As noted above, each program and organization that is part of Opportunity Cars may employ slightly different strategies to meet the goal of car ownership, but the bottom line is that each is focused on the goal of helping to increase car ownership, and really help people get and keep a job.

In addition to the free or discounted cars and loans, these assistance programs may also provide other valuable services that lead to successful car ownership. For example, a person in the program can get assistance with car repairs and insurance, financial literacy training, and also referrals to comprehensive service providers, as well as credit counseling and help with debts and loans.