Kars4Kids
Encyclopedia
Kars4Kids is a national car donation
organization headquartered in Lakewood, NJ, that operates in 49 states. Donations to Kars4Kids benefit Joy for Our Youth (J.O.Y.)
a national organization dedicated to addressing the educational, material, emotional and spiritual needs of Jewish children and their families.". J.O.Y. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 2000.
. Participants in the contest included Mark Radice
, the Emmy-nominated writer for such shows as Sesame Street
and J.R., front-man for the horror-punk-rock act Rosemary's Babies
.
co-creator Dave Cockrum
donated hundreds of comics from Cockrum's personal collection to the organization. The comic books were distributed by Kars4Kids to sick children at the Beth Israel Children’s Hospital in Newark, NJ.
was the recipient of a full 73-volume Talmud
ic library as part of the program.
of New York City's
Channel 11
news prepared a story on Oorah's "Kars 4 Kids" fund-raising division's lack of disclosure of the religious nature of its programs in its radio and billboard advertising. The report was criticized by some local Jewish residents as yellow journalism
.
Following what Kars4Kids called "false allegations" of money laundering
made in a Newark Star Ledger story, the newspaper agreed to remove the story from its website.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
reported that "what is left unsaid [in Kars 4 Kids' radio advertising], and what also is conspicuously absent from the charity's Web site, is that almost all money raised through the Kars4Kids charity goes to a Lakewood, N. J.-based program set up to pay for private schooling and other educational programs. It aims to bring Jewish schoolchildren and adults closer to their heritage." The article also cites a 2004 Better Business Bureau report that criticizes Kars 4 Kids and Joy for Our Youth, another Oorah subsidiary, for its charity accountability standards.
The Kars 4 Kids' website has since been modified to disclose its affiliation with Oorah and that the organization's purpose is to provide "for the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of Jewish children". The statement is difficult to locate because it occurs on one of the minor pages of the site, and is not displayed on the website's landing page.
Joy for Our Youth paid $65,000 in fines in Pennsylvania and Kars4Kids paid $65,000 in fines in Oregon in settlements reached with the respective state attorneys general as a result of the attorneys general contending that the organization had to more clearly state that the beneficiaries were primarily Jewish children. The organization has said that litigation costs to fight these actions would have cost the organization far more money. People involved with the group have also said that other charities have not been asked to similarly state when funds were used for specific religious groups.
Car donation
Car donation is the practice of giving away no-longer-wanted automobiles or other vehicles to charitable organizations. In the United States, these donations can provide a tax benefit and have become very popular.-In the United States:...
organization headquartered in Lakewood, NJ, that operates in 49 states. Donations to Kars4Kids benefit Joy for Our Youth (J.O.Y.)
Oorah (organization)
Oorah, or sometimes Oorah Kiruv Rechokim, Hebrew for "awaken and bring in those who are far," is an incorporated Orthodox Jewish kiruv organization founded in 1980 "with the goal of awakening Jewish children and their families to their heritage." It is a United States based 5013 non-profit...
a national organization dedicated to addressing the educational, material, emotional and spiritual needs of Jewish children and their families.". J.O.Y. is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 2000.
Jingle
The organization's jingle has been the source of some controversy. In response to this, the organization spoofed its own jingle in July, 2009 in a contest fronted by Warner Brothers recording artists The Good RatsThe Good Rats
The Good Rats are a rock band from Long Island, New York. Their music mixes elements of rock with blues and pop. Although they have had some success both nationally and internationally, it's on their native Long Island that they have always been best known....
. Participants in the contest included Mark Radice
Mark Radice
Mark Radice is an American singer/musician and producer, who has worked with a variety of different artists and achieved minor success with his own material in the 1970s...
, the Emmy-nominated writer for such shows as Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
and J.R., front-man for the horror-punk-rock act Rosemary's Babies
Rosemary's Babies
Rosemary's Babies was an American hardcore punk band formed in Lodi, New Jersey in 1980. Its members included J.R. - vocals, Post Mortem - bass, CA Richie - guitar, and Eerie Von - drums. The band was active until 1983 and produced a 7" EP titled "Blood Lust", released on the band's own Ghastly...
.
Cockrum donation
The estate of comicbook artist and X-MenX-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
co-creator Dave Cockrum
Dave Cockrum
David Emmett Cockrum was an American comic book artist known for his co-creation of the new X-Men characters Nightcrawler, Storm, and Colossus...
donated hundreds of comics from Cockrum's personal collection to the organization. The comic books were distributed by Kars4Kids to sick children at the Beth Israel Children’s Hospital in Newark, NJ.
Coats-for-the-Needy program
Kars4Kids distributed thousands of brand-new winter coats to the needy as a way of "making the holiday season a little warmer for folks who are down on their luck." The Kars4Kids team was assisted by the Newark, NJ Bears' staff and the Bears' mascot Ruppert.Literacy program
Kars4Kids launched a literacy program in 2010. Seton Hall UniversitySeton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
was the recipient of a full 73-volume Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic library as part of the program.
Controversies and criticism
Mary MurphyMary Murphy (reporter)
Mary Murphy is the weekend co-anchor of the PIX 11 News at Ten on WPIX-TV in New York City, and is a correspondent and substitute anchor for Kaity Tong on the station's weekday broadcasts....
of New York City's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Channel 11
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
news prepared a story on Oorah's "Kars 4 Kids" fund-raising division's lack of disclosure of the religious nature of its programs in its radio and billboard advertising. The report was criticized by some local Jewish residents as yellow journalism
Yellow journalism
Yellow journalism or the yellow press is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering, or sensationalism...
.
Following what Kars4Kids called "false allegations" of money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
made in a Newark Star Ledger story, the newspaper agreed to remove the story from its website.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
reported that "what is left unsaid [in Kars 4 Kids' radio advertising], and what also is conspicuously absent from the charity's Web site, is that almost all money raised through the Kars4Kids charity goes to a Lakewood, N. J.-based program set up to pay for private schooling and other educational programs. It aims to bring Jewish schoolchildren and adults closer to their heritage." The article also cites a 2004 Better Business Bureau report that criticizes Kars 4 Kids and Joy for Our Youth, another Oorah subsidiary, for its charity accountability standards.
The Kars 4 Kids' website has since been modified to disclose its affiliation with Oorah and that the organization's purpose is to provide "for the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of Jewish children". The statement is difficult to locate because it occurs on one of the minor pages of the site, and is not displayed on the website's landing page.
Joy for Our Youth paid $65,000 in fines in Pennsylvania and Kars4Kids paid $65,000 in fines in Oregon in settlements reached with the respective state attorneys general as a result of the attorneys general contending that the organization had to more clearly state that the beneficiaries were primarily Jewish children. The organization has said that litigation costs to fight these actions would have cost the organization far more money. People involved with the group have also said that other charities have not been asked to similarly state when funds were used for specific religious groups.
External links
- Kars4Kids
- Other vehicle donation websites benefiting J.O.Y.: http://www.givejoy.org/cardonations.html,http://www.donatecars.com/
- Oorah.org