Auto Salvaging Helps Mentally Disabled

Two organizations for the mentally disabled know how to make that old jalopy in the driveway work: Let them recycle it.

The California Special Olympics and Best Buddies--an international organization that pairs college students with mentally disabled children--will use money from recycled automobile parts to buy sports equipment, pay for training programs and coordinate outings.

As part of a joint program called Recycle for Gold, unwanted vehicles are towed away from San Fernando Valley residences for free and disassembled for spare parts. Donors then are mailed instructions on how to claim their donated vehicles as tax deductions. The program, which began last September, runs year-round.

“We’ll do this until we have all the cars in California,” said Karen Segal, spokeswoman for Best Buddies and coordinator of the recycling program. Best Buddies “is looking to expand its services in this state and does not have enough funds to do that. We only have two people in our western regional office.”

A similar program in Florida helped finance much of a Best Buddies job training center.

“A lot of these people live in group homes and are often overlooked,” Segal said. “Training them to get jobs allows them some independence and the self-satisfaction of earning their own living. We would like to bring that same self-satisfaction to mentally retarded people in California.”

According to Special Olympics spokesman Robin Burt, the California Special Olympics is also hoping that extra money brought in from the recycling program will allow services to expand. “The (money) will help us include more athletes in our program,” Burt said. “We currently have more than 26,000 people competing in our games, but are still only serving about 10% of the mentally retarded public that’s out there.”

Also, Burt said, the California Special Olympics wants to incorporate more traditional games into its regular activities. Events in bowling, golf and soccer will soon be held on a regular basis, Burt said.

“Our intention is to show that mentally retarded people can handle themselves in regular settings,” Burt said. “We want (them) treated on the same level as everyone else in society.”

To participate in the vehicle recycling program, call Recycle for Gold at (800) 590-1600. Although owners do not need to be home when the tow truck arrives, cars will not be towed unless proof of ownership has been established.