Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Crushed cars to benefit Habitat for Humanity
JANEK LOWE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image
Pat St. Germain looks at the remains of her 19-year-old car.
As Pat St. Germain watched her trusty 1991 Honda Civic get crushed into a rectangle of scrap metal Monday, she felt confident her old friend was going to a better place.
"Its time has come and this is a good way for it to go," she said of the car that's the first to be crushed as part of the Old Parts New Starts program, a charitable collaboration between metal recycler Urbanmine and Habitat for Humanity. The program will donate the proceeds from all cars submitted for recycling at Urbanmine to Habitat, which helps build homes for low income families. Urbanmine president Mark Chisick hopes to bring in 1,000 cars a year, which could be enough to fund the construction of an entire house.
The project is Chisick's brainchild. After meeting and talking with Habitat CEO Sandy Hopkins, he knew he wanted to do something to help the organization.
Chisick was particularly driven to help provide homes to promote a stable life for families that allows kids to move around less.
"I wanted Urbanmine to be a part of that dream," Chisick told news media at a press conference Monday, just before the first car in the project was crushed.
Car owner St. Germain is a freelance writer working with Urbanmine on the project, and saw it as the perfect send-off for her aging car, which has seen both coasts and has apparently been stolen and involved in a bank heist at one point.
"It's had a good run," she said. "I've been very fond of that car, I've had it for 19 years. I've driven it everywhere."
Hopkins said Habitat's work is dependent on making connections like these with local businesses.
"Without the partnerships, there would be no homes," said Hopkins, who is very happy about the program.
Prior to this new initiative, owners who brought in their car to Urbanmine for scrap got reimbursed for the value of their vehicle, which, depending on the fluctuating price of steel, can be up to several hundred dollars, Chisick said. Hopkins said St. Germain's car might be worth $150-$200.
Anyone interested in donating their old car to the project can drive it to Urbanmine at 72 Rothwell, which is just off Route 90 in South Winnipeg. If your beater isn't going anywhere, call Urbanmine for a tow at 774-0192. Car owners will get a charitable receipt for the value of their car.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 13, 2010 A7
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