This time of year, there are a lot of great organizations collecting toys or clothes for those in need. At St. Vincent de Paul, they’re doing things a little differently.

If you’re trying to get rid of an old car that does not run anymore, or there is a motorcycle in your garage just collecting dust, St. Vincent de Paul will take them off your hands.

“I think sometimes people think that it needs to be a brand new car and it doesn’t,” Cindy Lytle, Administrative Assistant for St. Vincent de Paul in Altoona, said.

The National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul started the National Vehicle Donation Program in 2010. Since then, they raised more than $7 million, and the money goes straight back to local conferences and councils of the society. 

Lytle encouraged everyone to donate year round. 

“Any season you can do. This is Christmas, a time of giving. During tax season, people might get new cars because they got a nice tax refund. Summer’s coming, and, you want something a little bit more reliable, air conditioning is broken and until you start to fix everything, so you know any time of year is perfect,” Lytle said.

Each vehicle donated goes to auction, and once it is sold, that money comes back to the local St. Vincent de Paul Society. The organization uses it to help those struggling to pay rent and utilities, as well as other needs in the community.