The holidays are a wonderful time of year when you can get together with family and friends. It also offers the chance to eat some terrific meals. Unfortunately, those meals aren't always the healthiest choices you can make. When you factor in most kids having two weeks off of school, it can be easy to slip into some bad habits.

It's December 2015, which means the year is coming to a close. It also means that your window for making tax-deductible donations is coming to an end as well. Fortunately, you have until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31 in order to make your donation count toward your 2015 taxes. One way to get the most out of your donation is by donating a car, truck, SUV, ATV, boat, RV, motorcycle or even Jet Ski to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish.

Now is the perfect time to donate to Wheels For Wishes. With the coldest months of the season still ahead of us, you'll want to unload that unwanted or unneeded vehicle. Trying to maintain a vehicle in frigid winter temperatures can be difficult – and trying to sell a vehicle can be a giant hassle. You can avoid these headaches by making a donation today!

Making a car donation is as easy as calling [chapter_phone] or filling out a car donation form online and can impact the lives of children throughout the United States. Your donation stays local and helps children in your state no matter where you live. Check out our 2015 Guide To Donating Your Car To Charity to see how easy it really is to donate a vehicle to Wheels For Wishes.

Make A Donation Today

December is the month of giving. Whether you are giving toys to children for the holidays or feeding homeless on the weekend, December is a great month to make a difference throughout the community. Wheels For Wishes is another great way to give back to your community.

Wheels For Wishes benefits Make-A-Wish, which means that your donation can help grant the wish of a child with a critical illness. Make-A-Wish grants a wish on average every 38 minutes. By donating a vehicle you are helping to grant a wish, which is something you will feel great about forever.

There are many benefits to donating a car before the year is finished. Not only do you get a great tax deduction, but Wheels For Wishes will take that vehicle you have been trying to sell off your hands. No more worrying about purchasing ads, meeting buyers and keeping your car working – we even take cars that aren’t running.

Cross off your first New Year’s resolution by donating your used vehicle. Not only do you rid yourself of that unwanted car, but you will also be making a huge impact in the life of a child through a donation. Get a head start on the New Year with your donation today.

What You Need To Know About Your Tax Deduction

Donating a car to charity has never been this easy. All you have to do is call [chapter_phone] or fill out a simple vehicle donation form online. Our experienced vehicle donations representatives will take care of the rest. Representatives are also available to answer any and all questions you might have about the car donation process. We are happy to help, so give us a call today!

After you have made your donation, you will be contacted within 24 hours of the next business day. When contacted, you can schedule a free vehicle pick-up around your schedule.

Lastly, your tax deductible receipt will be mailed out to you. If you’re wondering how much you will get for your vehicle donation, here are the typical results:

If your donated vehicle is sold for less than $500, you can claim up to $500 on your taxes. If the donated vehicle sells for more than $500, you claim the exact amount for which the vehicle is sold. In either case, you receive a tax deductible receipt at the time your vehicle is sold, and it will state the amount of the sale. This will be your charitable tax deduction. We take care of all the hard parts of car donation so you don’t have to worry.

Make A Difference With Your Donation

Our partner, Make-A-Wish, helps children during one of the most difficult times of their lives. Children with critical illnesses – like all children – have big wishes that they hope one day will come true. However, for many of these children, their lives have been put on hold. Wishes are just what “Wish Kids” need to feel strength, hope and joy. When a wish is granted, it helps a child feel normal again.

No matter the wish, your donation can help make it happen! It is a great feeling, knowing that your donation is making such a big difference in the life of a stranger. Donating a vehicle is fast, easy and a decision you will not regret. Help a child in your own community by calling [chapter_phone] today or make your car donation online. Just a few minutes of your time can make a world of difference to a child.

At some point, everyone has gotten jewelry, a sweater, picture frame or candle that is just not their style as a gift. It is hard to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list, and chances are some of the things you give people are going to be regifted. 

It’s already the middle of December, which means that the holidays are here. No matter which holiday you celebrate this time of the year, you’re probably participating in the season of giving. If charitable organizations are on your holiday shopping list, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll help you find a charitable organization that supports the causes you care most about. 

AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.

AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year. 

AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.

AAA predicts that close to 90 million Americans will travel by car for Christmas and other holidays this December. With the holiday season already being an expensive time of year, you may be looking for any opportunity to cut back on spending. Your holiday road trip can be a great place to start. Tuning up your car and traveling smart can save you precious time and money during one of the most stressful travel periods of the year.

The holidays are a popular time for people to volunteer at soup kitchens or homeless shelters, not just because people wish to give back during the season of giving, but because many parts of the country are experiencing colder temperatures, making homelessness especially difficult. 

The holidays are approaching, which also means a plethora of candies, sugar cookies, candy canes and chocolates at parties and gatherings. There's nothing wrong with a few indulgences around the holidays, but it can be much harder to limit sugar intake for you and your kids with so many sweets around. However, now more than ever is a good time to be conscious of your sugar intake, especially if you've read about this recent study on what cutting sugar does to children's health.

Earlier this year, Adidas launched a prototype of a running shoe called the Adidas x Parley. What makes the announcement both unique and exciting is the upper part of shoe is made completely from yarn and filament produced from plastic salvaged from the ocean, as well as fishing nets.

"This way there is no reason why materials with similar characteristics to those that we use every day with conventional production processes cannot be simply replaced by ocean plastic materials," British designer Alexander Taylor told the website Dezeen. "It is really much more a case of working with specialist 'green' chemists and companies such as Bionic textile to build new materials by re-constituting and re-engineering the nets and plastics."

Adidas said that they are looking into other sustainable ways of manufacturing this collection. The company said they plan to launch the concept design into production next year.

Whether you’re looking to take a break from your family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year or you’d just like to give back to the community and make a difference, there are plenty of ways to impact the lives of others this Thanksgiving. From volunteering your time to donating goods, there is no shortage of ways to make a difference this Thanksgiving. 

Whether you’re looking to take a break from your family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year or you’d just like to give back to the community and make a difference, there are plenty of ways to impact the lives of others this Thanksgiving. From volunteering your time to donating goods, there is no shortage of ways to make a difference this Thanksgiving. 

Parents work hard to make sure their kids are eating healthy by cooking meals at home when possible, reading labels and limiting the unhealthy snacks they eat. Unfortunately, labels don't always give you a good picture of what's in your kids' food and it's sometimes necessary to dig a little deeper. 

Whether you’re looking to take a break from your family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year or you’d just like to give back to the community and make a difference, there are plenty of ways to impact the lives of others this Thanksgiving. From volunteering your time to donating goods, there is no shortage of ways to make a difference this Thanksgiving. 

It's pretty well known that the U.S. could do better with its current recycling rate, which is just 34.5 percent. Recycling seems easy enough, but it's often a complicated and misunderstood issue that people can't agree on. Most of the glass, plastic, paper and metal that ends up in the trash can be recycled, but in the landfill it's just a lost resource. Learning more about waste and recycling can make a huge difference in the future of our environment.

America Recycles Day is Nov. 15, and there are so many great ways to get involved. Now that more and more people are getting involved in the green movement, it’s only getting easier to get other people excited about recycling, and the best way is to lead by example. This year, host or attend an America Recycles Day event near you to encourage other people to make earth-friendly decisions that will benefit future generations to come. 

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the average American wastes 250 lbs. of food each year. Humans are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the food thrown away each year, and places like grocery stores and restaurants are only responsible for about 10 percent of food waste. Instead of relying on businesses such as restaurants and grocery stores to take action, it’s actually humans who need to take action. 

Predicting the weather can be hard enough on a day to day basis. But forecasting whole seasons is an entirely different challenge. Winter may start in December, but winter weather can happen anytime. Last year, parts of the upper Midwest were pounded by snow and below-average temperatures by early November. Much of that snow was gone by Christmas, but it didn't mean the snow was done for the season.

This year, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting cooler and wetter weather in the South, and above-average temperatures in the West and across the Northern part of the county. NOAA is also predicting a drier winter for the northern Rocky Mountain areas, upper plain states, and the Great Lakes-area.

But it's important to remember that those predictions are for the season, and what you get hit with on a day-to-day basis is different. It may be sunny when you drive to work, but that doesn't mean you won't have a snowstorm or downpour to deal with. If you do, is your car ready?

It’s important to be prepared for what winter driving brings, not to mention what it can do to your car. If you want to keep your car driving well through the winter months so it comes out OK on the other side of the coldest season, you have to be ready. Here are some tips to keep yourself out of trouble while driving this winter.

1. Check Your Tire Tread And Pressure. If your car can't stay on the road, it puts you and those driving around you at serious risk. That starts with your tire's tread and inflation. If the tread is low, it hampers your car’s ability to grip the road. This is obviously an issue anytime of the year, but snow, slush and ice that can accumulate on the roads can make for dangerous driving. Here’s how to do a check yourself: Take a quarter and place it in the tire tread with Washington’s head pointing down. If Washington’s entire head is visible, it’s time to get new tires. Having tires that are properly inflated isn’t just about safety – it can save you money as well. According to the Department of Energy, every pound per square inch (PSI) that your tires are underinflated, lowers your gas mileage by 0.3 percent. That may not sound like much, but consider this: Proper inflation can raise gas mileage by 3.3 percent, or savings of up to 11 cents per gallon. Not sure what to inflate your tires to? Check the sticker on the driver’s side door jamb or in the car’s owner’s manual. Tires lose a pound of pressure for every 10-degree Fahrenheit drop in the temperature, so make sure you keep a close eye on it.
2. Make Sure You Can See. Standard wiper blades are made of rubber, and over time, they can wear down or crack, making them very ineffective to clear off snow and ice. Streaky windows hamper your ability to see the road, so make sure you check and replace, if necessary, your wiper blades. Also key is making sure your windshield-washer fluid tank is full, and make sure you have a gallon in the car with you in case you run out. Snow and slush make your windshield a mess in a hurry; it’ll surprise you how quickly you’ll run through washer fluid.
3. Get Your Battery Checked. Ever notice how your car strains a little bit when you turn the key in the winter? That’s because as it gets colder, the battery has to work hard to turn your engine over. Make sure that it’s getting a proper charge by getting the battery tested. Most service centers will do it for cheap – or for free – and checking can be the difference between getting home safely or getting stranded on the side of the road.
4. Hope For The Best, Prepare For The Worst. A simple survival kit stashed in your trunk can be a lifesaver. A bag of salt, spare shovel, jumper cables and blankets are vitally important should your car break down and you end up stranded on the side of the road. The North Dakota Department of Transportation has some more helpful suggestions for what to keep with you while driving.
5. Keep Your Lights Clean. Whenever you stop for gas, it’s a good practice to use the windshield washer to clean off your headlights. Given how early it gets dark – particularly in places like North Dakota or Alaska – you spend a lot of time driving with your lights on. Take 15 seconds to scrub off the grime so you can see – and be seen – when you’re out on the road.

Car Not Up For Winter? Donate It!

If you’re worried that your car isn’t up for the challenge of winter and a new purchase is in the cards, consider donating your vehicle to Wheels For Wishes benefiting Make-A-Wish. Your unwanted vehicle can help inspire a local child and make their wish come true.

All you need to do is donate an unwanted car, truck, SUV, RV, motorcycle, or boat and it will help to grant a wish for a local child in your community. All of the hassle typically associated with getting rid of an unwanted vehicle is handled for you. No paying for and posting listings. No dealing with setting up times for potential buyers to view the vehicle. No haggling or price wars. No producing maintenance logs or waiting for a buyer to have their mechanic look it over. Plus you’ll get a tax deduction for your vehicle, which you don’t get when you try to sell it.

All you have to do is pick up the phone and call [chapter_phone] or fill out our easy online vehicle donation form. You don’t even have to be home when the pick-up happens! It is just that simple and you will feel great about helping those who are striving to feel hope, strength, and joy once again.

Brave the Bay is an annual fundraiser presented by the San Francisco Police Department to benefit our partner, Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. It's an active, holiday-themed event that's perfect for participants of any age.