Wheels of Change is dedicated to transforming the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Atlanta through targeted vehicle donations. Your contributions fuel essential services provided by local shelters and transitional housing programs, addressing urgent needs for safe sleeping arrangements, supportive services, and comprehensive care.
By donating your vehicle, you help extend a lifeline to individuals and families in crisis. Each dollar from the sale of your vehicle translates into a tangible impact, funding emergency shelter beds, transitional housing rent subsidies, and outreach efforts that meet people where they are in our city.
Programs your donation funds
- Overnight emergency shelter beds
- Transitional housing (30-90 day stays)
- Rapid rehousing vouchers
- Street outreach teams
- Day-center services (showers, laundry, mail, phone)
- Family homeless shelters with childcare
↗Real impact, real numbers
Your generous donation can create a significant impact for Atlanta's homeless population. A vehicle sold for $1,500 can provide approximately 40-60 shelter nights in emergency beds, ensuring safe refuge through challenging nights. Alternatively, it can cover a full month’s rent subsidy for one family in transitional housing or supply essential resources for six months for street outreach teams, aiding in their critical work of connecting individuals with necessary services.
How we vet recipient partners
We rigorously vet our partner organizations to ensure accountability and service quality. We prioritize partners meeting HUD's Continuum-of-Care standards, with low shelter-to-housed transition rates of below 20%, indicating fewer returns to homelessness. Each organization must provide a verifiable Form 990 demonstrating a program expense ratio of 75% or more, ensuring that funds go directly to helping those in need.
How proceeds flow
After the successful sale of your donated vehicle, we allocate approximately 70-80% of the gross proceeds to our partner organizations, ensuring your contribution is maximally effective. From there, funds are directed to service programs based on their established ratios, allowing us to address various needs within the homeless community efficiently.
Atlanta recipient landscape
Atlanta faces significant challenges in addressing homelessness, with local shelters and services often stretched thin. The need for emergency beds and supportive housing has increased in recent years, and state-level funding has not kept pace with the growing demand. Your support sustains local programs dedicated to making a difference, helping not just to shelter individuals, but to foster long-term solutions.