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When the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through Florissant two weeks ago, the storm flooded Coldwater Creek, and in the process, a fleet of cars for the needy.
"Basically, we went down to a zero inventory overnight," said Scott McRoberts, co-owner of Hart Auto Body.
McRoberts' shop repairs vehicles for Wheels of Hope, which refurbishes donated cars and provides them to those in need. Twenty-four autos had been on the fenced-in lot, and all of them were destroyed.
McRoberts, 44, founded the program two years ago after he said he had a God-inspired dream to start a ministry.
"The Lord gives us all talents and abilities for one reason -- to use in his service -- and I know cars," he said.
As he was praying about how to use his skills, McRoberts said he heard radio ads about a national charity's car donation program. He called the number and asked what happened to the cars. They told him they are auctioned off, and the proceeds are used to fund other programs.
"There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to do something different," McRoberts said. "So many people in our community could get a job if they had a car or, if they had a dependable car, they could get a job 15 miles from home that paid better."
So McRoberts talked to his pastor at First Baptist Church of O'Fallon, Mo., and Wheels of Hope began.
Under the program, cars are donated to seven churches around the area. They are made roadworthy and then offered to residents chosen by a church committee. The recipients pay $50 to $500 for the cars, which sometimes are worth as much as $6,000. Fifty cars have been refurbished since the program's inception.
About 60 percent of the donated cars can't be fixed, but they still serve a purpose, McRoberts said. They are sold to a salvage yard for scrap, and that money, along with the car-sale funds, pays for repairs.
"That's why we take all donations, running, nonrunning, wrecked, unwrecked, it doesn't matter," McRoberts said. "And we tow all donated cars for free."
Additional donations of car parts, such as engines, transmissions and windshields, keep the program self-sustaining.
Donors can get tax credit for the contribution. If the car is repaired, they can claim fair market value at the time they donated it, and if it's salvaged, the donor can claim up to $500.
McRoberts said those who would like a vehicle could apply through one of the cooperating churches or through his body shop. Applications for recipients and donors are available at hartautobodystl.com.
Once a candidate is selected, his or her needs are matched with the vehicles available, so, for instance, single guys don't get minivans. Those are reserved for families.
McRoberts said he had been at every key exchange, which can be quite emotional. There are prayers, too, and the recipient usually is given a Bible.
Recipients don't have to be churchgoers, he said, but they do have to have a sincere desire to improve their circumstances.
"A car is so vital in society today, and this is one way for churches to make a real difference in someone's life," he said.
All of the cars are state-inspected for safety and emissions, and Wheels of Hope pays for the first two months of insurance. Recipients get all the paperwork needed to license and title the cars in their names, he said.
Of the 24 Wheels of Hope cars that were flooded Sept. 14, seven had been ready to go. One of them -- a 1994 Suburban -- was supposed to be given to a family of seven, and will be difficult to replace.
McRoberts was able to spare one car. He was test-driving a 1994 Plymouth Voyager that weekend. Unfortunately, that meant he lost his own vehicle, a 2003 Dodge Neon, which he had left on his business lot.
McRoberts said all of the cars were covered by insurance, so even though the flood caused a setback, it didn't end the program.
All they need now are a few donations to get them back on track.
To see more of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.stltoday.com. Copyright (c) 2008, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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