Earlier this year, when Len Norwitz watched a tow truck haul away his late mother’s Buick Century as a donation to Habitat for Humanity Portland Region, he wasn’t sad. He was proud.

His mom, Molly Tulin, bought the car new in 1999 in Connecticut, where she lived and spent her career working in Child Protective Services. In 2004, the Buick was loaded onto a trailer as part of her cross-country move to Oregon, to live near Len, his wife Janis, and their then-toddler Lily. 

Once settled in Portland, the Buick was a vessel for freedom, fun, connection, and exploration for Molly. She drove it to the Columbia River Gorge to view petroglyphs; to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival; to Crater Lake and Rockaway Beach; to classes she audited at PSU; to pick Lily up at school.

From Molly to Lily to Habitat

Molly relied on the Buick until her late 80s, when she moved into assisted living and stopped driving. That was bittersweet, because the timing was perfect for a teenage Lily, ready to learn how to drive. Molly gave her family the Buick and her best wishes. A few years later, the family grieved Molly passing away. Lily took the car on PNW adventures that her grandmother would’ve loved, like camping on Mt. Rainier and carting around their beloved family dog, Waldo. 

With Lily living in London these days to study immigration public policy, Len decided it was time to retire the now-retired Buick. At 25 years old, it had traveled 160,000 miles, and Len looked into donating the car to charity. He had several friends who raved about their experiences on builds, so Habitat for Humanity came to mind. 
 
“Years ago, we had a Habitat build site just a couple blocks from our house, and I always wanted to spend some time volunteering, but that’s when I was working up to 80 hours a week as labor and political organizer, so I never made it to a build,” Len said.

“Donating the car to Habitat was gratifying and the process was seamless. As big fans of Jimmy Carter and with our family spending our careers in public service, my mom would’ve liked that donating the car was another way for us to give back.” 

Retiring a vehicle for DIY projects and play 

Similarly, Francis Wankowicz’s family of educators and diplomats taught him the value of service, as well as the importance of having a stable place to call home. “My family moved around an awful lot,” he said. “When I was 10, my father had a foreign assignment with USAID but the family’s travel with him fell through and left us scrambling for housing. I believe stable housing is a foundational part of success in life, especially for children. That’s what first connected me to Habitat’s mission.” 

Work in commercial real estate lending took Francis and his family (his wife Barbara and their three children) from Portland to Phoenix, Arizona. In 2012, they bought a used 2005 Volvo XC90 and named it Ruby for its rich maroon shade. For years, the car was a family and commuting vehicle, as well as transportation to a dozen Habitat build sites where Francis volunteered.

“I saw it as offering a hand up to people who need it. For me, Habitat is a way of paying back what I’ve gotten in life and paying it forward.” 

Habitat builds were also where Francis and his son Evan, by then a teenager, could spend hours away from daily stress to connect side by side, painting or landscaping for others. Francis soaked up all of that bonding time, not to mention knowledge from experienced contractors on the build sites; he’s since renovated six homes using what he learned from Habitat builds, including doing his own framing, insulation, drywall, tiling, and cabinetry. 

Ruby was also loaded up with kayaks for river days, and made trips to the coast for clamming and an annual family campout. Francis even took the family to Timberline one winter, partly to see how Ruby did in the snow. 

“We drove the wheels off it,” Francis recalled. 

With well over 220,000 miles on Ruby, Francis knew the car had limited resale value. “It was an easy decision to donate it to thank Habitat for all our family gained from volunteering over the years,” he said. 

Donating your vehicle to Habitat

Len and Francis are some of the many generous donors to give vehicles a second life by donating them to Habitat. Since launching Cars for Homes, the national vehicle donation program, in 2005, Habitat has accepted more than 160,000 vehicles. In just the past five years, vehicle donations raised over $72 million nationally for Habitat’s work building and repairing homes. Habitat receives funds for each vehicle according to the region where it was donated, so donations stay in the community. Revenue from cars donated from within Habitat Portland Region’s boundaries goes directly to support Habitat’s work in our area.  

If you have a vehicle (car, truck, motorcycle, RV, boat, etc.) that’s ready to retire, learn more about how it can be turned into funds for building affordable homes! It’s a tax-deductible donation. And even if the vehicle isn’t running, our partners pick it up and take it away, where it can become transportation for someone else or recycled. Either way, your old vehicle can help people in our area get into safe, affordable housing.