Uplift Clark County Celebrates Their 5th Year of Giveaways

For the last five years Chappelle’s Towing has partnered with Jacobus Carstar and other local businesses to donate a quality used vehicle to one resident of Clark County to give them greater freedom and help them better serve their community. They call this Uplift Clark County. Chappelle’s has been able to purchase a vehicle for an upstanding, but financially struggling, member of the community every year for the last five years; four of those years partnering with Jacobus Carstar, and one with the help of Elite Collision in Battle Ground, WA. Much of America is not adequately covered by bus and train lines making car travel one of the only means many people have to make it to work or school. With a car holding such an important place in helping a family earn income and helping transport loved ones, and with Chappelle’s Towing’s incredible record for local vehicle retrieval, and Jacobus Carstar’s talent in vehicle restoration, it only made sense for both companies to give back through the gift of a car.

This Year’s Giveaway

This year’s recipient of a certified pre-owned 2011 Hyundai Sonata was Clark County resident Sheena Barrett. She was nominated by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington. Now Sheena and her sons will be able to attend school functions and make it to work on time without being at the mercy of the bus schedule. A vehicle grants freedom as well as greater financial opportunity, and when a member of our community succeeds, we all benefit. This year’s ribbon cutting happened on Wednesday, June 19th at the local restaurant Warehouse 23. It was attended by a number of community members including numerous members of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce “Red Coat” Ambassadors.

Previous Year’s Giveaways

For their first donation, Jacobus Carstar recalls:

“We had some 60 nominations, 50 of them were for this young lady here [Rachael Methke]. That obviously says a lot about her character.”

Chappelle’s Towing and Jacobus Carstar have been honored to provide assistance to so many incredible people over the years. Rachael Methke, the first recipient of a 2003 Infiniti G35 through Uplift Clark County, had this to say:

“When you’re in the middle of crisis you feel like no one’s there and no one cares; you feel the most alone you’ve ever felt in your entire life, and then something good happens. In the middle of all the good, you still remember the bad, but all the good starts to outshine the bad, and then a miracle like this happens, and you realize the people were right there the whole time by your side watching, caring, and seeing your struggles.”

Community Benefactors

This year, sponsors Chappelle’s Towing and Jacobus Carstar Auto Body Repair Experts helped to purchase the vehicle, while Mark Matthias and his restaurant Warehouse 23 hosted the event, including catering, web developer Webfor provided online support, Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce provided the ribbon cutting and advertising, and LKQ Corporation donated vehicle parts. It’s important that a partnership of local businesses have come together to help one member of their community. These businesses have a real desire to give back to Clark County. Would you or your business like to help sponsor the event next year? If you would like to join the growing number of business philanthropists, give Polina Senchilo a call at (360) 696-1710.

Nominations For Next Year

Do you know someone who needs a vehicle to accomplish selfless acts in Clark County? Do you know someone who deserves a nomination? To qualify they must have been a resident of Clark County for a minimum of 3 years, have a valid, current driver’s license, be able to carry liability insurance, and provide 3 references. Participants must be nominated by someone outside their household. If you know someone who is a beacon in our community but lacks transportation to productively spread that love, we want to help! Nominations are held each year in the month of May. Follow the hashtag #uplift on social media for more updates.

Uplift Clark County is proudly organized by Chappelle’s Towing
For more information, follow the hashtag #uplift or call
Polina Senchilo at (360) 696-1710