La Conchita, California - January 2005

When Mother Nature wrecks havoc, it's Human Nature to reach out to help the victims caught in the path of destruction.

On January 10, 2005, as a result of days of torrential rains in the area, the lush hillside that provided a majestic backdrop to La Conchita, California, a small seaside community along highway 101, just 20 miles south of Santa Barbara, collapsed, unleashing a river of mud that buried this rustic community.

Of those who survived the impact of this gigantic wall of earth and debris, many found not only their homes demolished but also their vehicles. Immediately upon learning of the devastation, Cars 4 Causes,^® with the assistance of The American Red Cross, was able to make 38 car donations to La Conchita residents desperately in need of transportation.

And now, the rest of the story ... As often happens, it is during times of adversity that the giver is the one who ends up receiving the greatest gifts.

As we met and got to know the people who lived in La Conchita, this small hamlet sitting quietly and unassumingly along the great Pacific Ocean, we were struck again and again by the fact that long before a mud slide wiped out their material possessions, they lived their lives reaching out and helping one another on a daily basis, motivated not by a sudden crisis or a great cause, but by the belief that this is simply the way neighbors treats neighbors.

We would like to thank the residents of La Conchita for reminding us of the true meaning of "community." Because the truth is, we all live in a "small community" of some type; our immediate neighborhood, our apartment complex, and where we work or attend school, or various places where each of us have the daily opportunity to reach out and help and support one another.

For those of us who work at Cars 4 Causes^®, these little reminders, and knowing that we play a huge role in turning tears into smiles, is the real reason we do what we do.