Car Donations Needed! UGM Saved This Army Veteran Who Struggled - NBC Right Now/KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA |

KHQ.COM - Sean Stevens served in the U.S. army for 18 years. He had what looked like a good life. A wife, 3 kids and a home. When he got out of the military however, he began to show the symptoms of PTSD which eventually became too hard to control.

He developed a substance abuse problem as he tried to self medicate the pain and emotional stress he was under from the experiences he had endured in the military.

Sean described how hard it was to live a life in the army for nearly 20 years where he had security and felt like he mattered and had a purpose. When he got out of the army, all of a sudden he felt like he was a nobody and realized that the army didn't care about him anymore.

He ended up getting a divorce and losing his wife and kids. He then lost his home and found himself living on the streets with no place to go. On a day when he was seriously contemplating suicide, in fact, he says he was possibly hours away from suicide, a pastor brought him to the Union Gospel Mission. For the first time in a long time, he felt that his life mattered and that everything was going to be okay.

Sean went through their 18 month program, got over his addiction and turned his life around. Today he is remarried and working at Union Gospel Mission Motors.

UGM Motors is one of the newest ministries at the Union Gospel Mission and it's a ministry that depends on the donation of used vehicles to help change the lives of people just like Sean Stevens who have fallen on hard times. When a car is donated to UGM Motors, it's really a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Donated vehicles, are repaired by ASE Certified mechanics and then sold for an affordable price. Because UGM Motors doesn't have to purchase the vehicles they sell, they are actually able to put more money into repairing their used cars than a typical used car lot could afford to do. The cars are then sold for an affordable price and customers can rest assured that they are buying a car at a great price that is also dependable.

The donor of the car benefits too. They will actually receive a tax credit, not for what the vehicle was worth when they donated it to UGM Motors, but actually for the price the car sells for. So, for example, if a person brings a car to UGM Motors that's not running and only worth around $500 at the time but after repairing it, UGM Motors is able to sell it for $2,000. The donor will receive a tax credit for $2,000.

UGM Motors typically doesn't have a problem getting customers in the door to purchase vehicles. With each passing year, their reputation is growing as a reliable used car lots with affordable and dependable used cars. Where their need lies is in vehicle donations.

Please help UGM Motors spread the word about their need for used cars. The cars don't necessarily need to be running either and UGM Motors offers a free pick up service where they can come to you to pick up your donated vehicle and take it back to their car lot.

Jim Stroh, the General Manager at UGM Motors, wants to challenge everyone to think about how they might be able to help. "Realize that the vehicle just sitting in your driveway, could be the vehicle to changing someone's life."

If you don't have a car to donate, perhaps you are a skilled mechanic or sales person who could donate your time to help train UGM Motor employees who have graduated the 18 month UGM program and are trying to get back on their feet. All of the UGM Motor employees have to be trained and certified to work on the vehicles and repair them or to sell cars and deal with customers. This training gives them a great life skill to take with them as they go into the workforce.

Monetary donations are also accepted. All of the money that comes into UGM Motors goes right back to the Union Gospel Mission programs that are designed to help the poor and homeless overcome an addiction if they have one and get back on their feet. 

For more information about UGM Motors, visit their website here: http://www.uniongospelmission.org/ugm-motors/
or call this number: 509-327-HELP