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Convoys
The first convoy was a Volvo car with a 1-ton trailer and a camper van carrying blankets and clothes for refugee camps near Zagreb and some drugs requested by a Zagreb hospital. It was realised then that although refugees in Croatia needed help, the worst need was in Bosnia, so from then on that is where EDA went.
From September 1992 to September 1996 EDA took 33 different groups of volunteers from Edinburgh to former Yugoslavia, delivering over 2000 tons of aid in hundreds of separate sorties into Bosnia. Some of this work was done in association with the York-Sarajevo Link (YSL), who provided some of te finance and personnel. YSL also arranged the visit of the Saraejovo Football Team in July 1994. They played one match agaionst York City, but unfortunately their matches in Scotland had to be cancelled because the Sottish Football Association refused them permission to play for lack of documentation from the Bosnian Football Association (which did not exist at the time.
Two trucks – four trucks – six trucks – eight trucks
By mid ‘93 the convoys routinely comprised two or three 7.5 and one or two 17-ton vansiven outright or loaned indefinitely (notably a 17-ton furniture van from Halley Transport), lacking in mod cons but kept going by EDA devoted volunteer mechanics, over the roughest of Bosnian roads, the worst of the Bosnian winters and the long haul over Germany motorways. “Big Yin”, a faithful 17-ton Bedford, was retired forcibly when hit by Serb mortars on Mount Igman in May 1995. The Halley truck and ango, a 17-ton gift of the Brewers were eventually given to Stevenson College, Edinburgh for their students to work on (they often service EDA vehicles). Replacements included vehicles donated by Land Rover Finance. Leyland DAF, Lex Transfleet, EDA South Coast and Heriot School: this eventually gave EDA a somewhat more modern fleet of five 1317 ton trucks, two 7.5 tonners and a Land Rover. In May 1995, Convoy 29 saw 13 EDA vehicles drive aid from Split to Sarajevo.
Destinations
Each convoy delivered its initial load from Edinburgh, then took whatever loads needed shifting for other aid organisations e.g. Feed The Children, Christian Aid, The Soros Foundation from Croatia into Bosnia. Delivery targets were selected on advice of UNHCR, of Bosnian Government representatives, and of British Army liaison officers.
Aid workers as targets
Despite UNPROFOR escorts in sensitive areas, EDA and other aid workers were fired on. Christine Witcutt was killed by a sniper when leaving Sarajevo in July 1993 In the summer of 1994 Edinburgh Direct Aid convoys took advantage of General Rose newly opened lue Route over the airport, which made it possible to reach Sarajevo over Mount Igman without crossing Serb linesut not without crossing their gun sights. From then until the opening of the main road after the Dayton agreement, EDA ran regular convoys over the Mount Igman track, in varying conditions of hazard from rain, snow, ice, passing vehicles, and at times, mortar, tank and machine gun fire. Eventually the shots found their mark: Denis Rutovitz EDA’s chairman was wounded. A truck was hit and went off the road, and Andy Sutherland, driving, escaped it seemed by miracle. EDA suspended deliveries of a planned 11000 food parcels for school and hospital staffs. Glasgow-based Convoy of Mercy attempted to complete the delivery, but Neil Golightly, their chief organiser, was killed and another truck and load of parcels lost. EDA eventually took in the remaining 2000 parcels after the Britishrench Rapid Reaction Force and US A10s silenced the besiegers guns in September 1995.
Medicine
From 1992 to 1997, EDA delivered hospital beds, theatre wear and drapes, lab coats, nurses uniforms, sterilisers, X-ray and other equipment, intravenous fluids, giving sets, antibiotics and a wide variety of drugs, as available or requested, directly to hospitals, homes for disabled and chronic sick, clinics and laboratories in Sarajevo, Gornji Vakuf, Gorade, Biha, Tuzla, Travnik, Vitez, Zenica and Fojnica
First International postwar Medical Conference in Sarajevo
The personal interest of EDA deputy chair, Prof. Jeanne Bell, resulted in EDA becoming the only charity to deliver laboratory materials and equipment to the diagnostic pathology labs in Bosnia during the war: diagnostic services are the Cinderella of medical services during war, but the illnesses of normal life do not abate on that account.
Four months after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement which marked the end of the conflict in former Yugoslavia, the first post-war pathology conference in Bosnia-Herzegovina was held in Sarajevo at the invitation of the Department of Pathology and the Faculty of Medicine. This meeting was sponsored by the Soros Open Society Fund Bosnia-Herzegovina, with generous additional support from the International Society for Neuropathology, the British Embassy in Sarajevo and Applied Imaging International (UK), and was held on 16-18 May 1996. The programme included keynote presentations from invited international speakers and situation reports from pathology departments in Bosnia. The major objective was for the participants to formulate a programme for reconstituting pathology services, both diagnostic and academic, which had been brought to the brink of total breakdown in the last four years. The resulting conference report was subsumed into the general plans for rebuilding medical services in BiH.
EDA DISABILITY : The Fojnica Homes
Fojnica is a small town about 40 kilometres to the West of Sarajevo. In its outlying villages of Drin and Bakovii there are two residential homes each looking after about 300 handicapped children and adults, and psychiatrically disturbed adults respectively.
1993 horror
During the fighting between the Croat militias and the Bosnian government forces April 1993 April 1994, these homes were on the confrontation lines. At Drin at one time the fighting was so intense that the staff, normally devoted, were too terrified to come in to work, and the handicapped children and adults there were left untended for over 48 hours, with appalling effect. Alerted by one of the nurses who walked over the mountains through the fighting lines and the minefields, UNHCR sent a party with an UNPROFOR escort to investigate. Maureen Lyons, Edinburgh Direct Aid representative in Sarajevo, was one of the first on the scene in her capacity as a UNHCR social services officer. She stayed with the children though 10 dreadful days until the UN succeeded in establishing an agreement to respect the neutrality of the hospitals, and medical teams from the Canadian and British forces arrived.
Progress, but…
This section may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (January 2009)
There is no longer any threat to the physical security of inmates or staff, services have been restored, central and cantonal governments provide a modicum of support. But staff numbers are much lower than they should be, with pay meagre and irregular. Home and patients are kept clean, care is regular and loving, but opportunities for exercise, play, development of potential, and therapy are sadly limited. Food supplies, clothing, footwear, sanitary supplies, toiletries and fuel have been very short indeed at times, and are still short now – enough to keep alive but not much more.
Helping jog along
Edinburgh Direct Aid had made regular deliveries to Drin and Bakovii since September 1994. These comprised family parcels for staff, food supplements, toiletries, basic medical supplies, footwear, materials for writing and drawing, basketballs and other sports goods, winter cloths and shoes. Planning to get better – help from Edinburgh HealthCare Trust and the Soros foundation
Following a week-long assessment visit to Fojnica by a party from Moray House and Gogarburn, in May 1996 7 senior staff from the two institutions visited Edinburgh on the invitation of Edinburgh Direct Aid and Edinburgh Healthcare Trust, with support from the Soros Foundation Open Society Fund. The object of the visit was to enable the visitors to see at first hand the possibilities for improving care and enabling progress to independence of handicapped children and adults that modern methods, new approaches and adequate staff numbers can bring
The Fojnica-Gogarburn Axis
Over the 1996 Christmas/Hogmanay period, Alastair Murdoch, senior physiotherapist at Gogarburn, rendezvoused with the Christmas convoy in Sarajevo. He and Angus Greensleaves spent two weeks working at Fojnica, helping to train staff in the use of newly acquired physiotherapy and generally assisting with the care of patients. In October 1997, Alastair Murdoch led an EDA group going to Fojnica, to deliver and install a complete Snoezeln room (a specially equipped relaxtion-stimulation therapy room), and to institute a program of volunteer support for the two institutions.
Tangible progress
Physiotherapy programmes are up and running at both homes, largely equipped by Edinburgh Direct Aid working with Edinburgh Healthcare Trust. Care has moved beyond mere physical maintenance, to positive encouragement of development. Games rooms, art rooms, occupational therapy, and a music therapy programme now exist. Smiles break out! There is still a long way to go, but largely inspired by experience of the possible in Edinburgh, the directors and staff have put together their own development plan, and found further backing from other donors.
To the present day
EDA support for Fojnica has continued, with many deliveries of food, clothing, footwear, furniture and toys. In 1999 a sorely needed visit by a dentist was arranged. Also in that year, two trained EDA volunteers spent some months assisting the overburdened and seldom paid staff in their daily chores. EDA is currently (2001) sending an engineer and technician from its building team in Biha to assess the possibility of reducing overcrowding by building another floor on the top of the main building.
Art and Sport
EDA is committed to the support and restoration of the richness and diversity of the sporting, artistic and intellectual life of multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Bosnia. To this end EDA has brought art exhibitions from Sarajevo to the Edinburgh festival, taken art works from the UK for exhibition in Sarajevo, and helped restart the Sarajevo music library. At the height of the siege, EDA conveyed 22 tons of newsprint from Split to Sarajevo to help newspapers keep publishing – and with the help of General Sir Michael Rose brought an FCSarajevo/Railway Club football team to Scotland to play exhibition and fundraising matches!
EDA first REFUGEE RETURN PROJECT (1996/97)
By 1995 there were thousands of refugees from Bosnia in the UK. Most were Moslem or of mixed descent and marriages and were forced from their homes in circumstances of unbelievable horror. Many lost all their family in massacres. Nevertheless, the vast majority longed to go back to their homes. In 1996 and 1997, Edinburgh Direct Aid helped 370 brave men and women, and their children, to return to Bosnia to try to rebuild their lives and communities there. EDA
worked in co-operation with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the BiH Ministry of Refugees, and the local authorities in Klju and other Bosnian towns.
picked up the refugees from wherever they lived in Britain.
looked after them on the way (we send a trained nurse and counsellor with the coach, and arrange accommodation at overnight stops).
took with each family the furniture and other possessions which they had managed to acquire in the UK so that they were not returning in a state of utter destitution.
saw them through customs, passport, visa and registration problems.
helped them to move back in to their houses, by clearing up rubble and mess, and trying to make at least a few rooms of the usually wrecked houses weatherproof.
kept in touch, and tried to maintain the sense of those over there being cared for by those over here
EDA was the only organisation offering help of this kind and quality to Bosnian refugees in the UK wanting to return home
Where will people live?
Through the length and breadth of Bosnia, the eye wasnd in some places still isssaulted by broken houses: skeletal roofless walls, shells of buildings with gaping window sockets, or simply piles of rubble.
In one small group of villages near the town of Klju in N. West Bosnia, nearly 3500 of a total of 4000 houses had been damaged to significant degree. Some of those who returned to their homes with the assistance of Edinburgh Direct Aid were forced to spend a winter in houses with only remnants of a roof, walls with plastic sheets over windows, and a cold water hose for water if they were lucky. In July 1997, with funds granted by the European Commission, EDA launched a project to repair 150 houses in the villages mentioned. The programme focused on those least able to help themselves, particularly the many women who had lost brothers, husbands, sons in the massacres of July 1992 . In about two thirds of cases, only materials and some skilled help were supplied. But in the case of women alone, or the elderly or infirm, EDA did the whole job using local building contractors.
By March 1998 all was complete. In passing, with some help from Scottish Power, Liz McLaughlin and her team had turned the lights back on in one of the villages where the supply had been destroyed.
1998: Rebulding community and civic life in KLJU and its villages
Education Support Programme: EDA supplied writing materials, school furniture, sports equipment, refurbished computers and other teaching materials. A series of English language courses were given by TEFL-trained volunteers . Local Clinic: EDA brought equipment and supplies. An ambulance was purchased and delivered by Rotary District 1140. Employment Opportunities: practical steps included
setting up of a woodworking business for manufacture of flooring and other joinery products.. In 2001 its still going strong, with 7 men employed in the Joinery shop.
smallholdings: These are crofting villages. EDA supplied two 36 HP tractors, to help cultivate the land, and with Rotary 1140, help establish egg-production for income.
sewing room: with help from Monmouth Aid, Malteser and the Office of Overseas Development, EDA equipped a women co-operative sewing group with 12 industrial sewing machines and table, two industrial cutters, and many pallets of cloth (mostly donated by June Cormy Edinburgh-based Cloth Shop). This employment for 12 women for some years.
Fire engine and Rubbish Truck: with the help of the Scottish Office and Sterling Council, EDA has supplied a Green Goddess fire engine and a rubbish compactor – both sorely needed.
19992000: Reconstruction in Bosnia
ECHO the EC European Community Humanitarian Organisation awarded Edinburgh Direct Aid three contracts (total value nearly 1,000,000) to rebuild 142 severely war-damaged houses in the north-western part of Bosnia. Of these, 67 are for Bosnian Serbs while 75 are for Muslim families. Work went well and thanks to the good management of Liz McLaughlin in the field, and George McNeill on the financial side, EDA was able to complete some 10% more houses than originally contracted for, while remaining within budget.
EDA and the Scottish Charities Kosovo appeal, 1998-2000
In October 1998, EDA invited all Scottish charities with an interest in the Balkans to a conference in the City Chambers. The majority agreed that some form of co-operation was desirable. The first practical step resulting from the conference, in Feb 1999, was a volunteer convoy taking 9 donated caravans to Kukes on the Albania/Kosovo border, for use of Kosovan refugees.
Next, in Feb. 1999, a number of concerned Scottish Charities joined together to form the Scottish Charities Kosovo Appeal, with Edinburgh Direct Aid as the Coordinating Charity.
Shortly after SCKA first appeal was launched by Radio Forth, the Sunday Mail took it up, and Sir Tom Farmer offered the support of the logistic, financial and administrative services of Kwik-Fit. This resulted in an eventual inflow of over 500,000 of donations to SCKA, and a huge volume of goods clothes, bedding, food and toiletries to Kwik-Fit centres across Scotland. SCKA was formally constituted as comprising the following 6 charities:
Shetland Aid
Edinburgh Direct Aid
Connect Humanitarian Relief
No Frontiers Humanitarian Aid
Blytheswood Care
New Hope Trust
Dumfries and Galloway Aid were formed specifically to get the relief effort launched, but later disbanded; Scottish International Relief participated for a few weeks then withdrew. Later, Mission East Trust joined the consortium. Legally the association is constituted as a part of Edinburgh Direct Aid, but with an independent management committee. The chairman of SCKA is, by the agreement, Nigel Griffiths MP. The management committee consists of representatives of each charity, a representative of Kwik-Fit and the chairman. Later SCKA was joined by LASEDAK (London and South East Direct Aid), technically another subsidiary of EDA.
Macedonia, April 1999
Tens of thousands of refugees forcibly ejected from their homes in Pristina and elsewhere found their way to the Macedonian border, and also to the border with Albania at Kukes in the North. Initially not allowed in to Macedonia they spent days and weeks in atrocious conditions in the open in sleet and snow, without food, sanitation or clean water, and always, behind them, the Serb paramilitaries.
Helped by the generosity of Virgin Atlantic and Direct Holidays SCKA sent 70 tons of food, clothes and toiletries by air to Skopje airport in Macedonia and to Thessalonika in Greece. These were met by the first SCKA party on the ground, and distributed by the British troops responsible for Stankovac camp near the border.
Responding to an urgent need which had not been met, and in collaboration with International Medical Corps, a dental clinic was established in Stankovac camp. This clinic saved 30 patients daily from the misery of untreated dental abscesses and rotting teeth,
Albania, May-June 1999
12 large truckloads of aid were despatched overland using a mix of donated vehicles with volunteer drivers, and commercial trucks. They went to Korca in Southern Albania, where refugees from Kosovo were arriving in increasing numbers.
SCKA chartered a 1500-ton vessel to load at Leith Port and sail directly to Durrs in Albania. The ship carried 30 truckloads of clothes and bedding, 50 tons of mixed food, 100 tons of flour, and 20 tons of toiletries for Kosovar refugees in Albania. Stephanie Wolfe Murray (of Connect Humanitarian Aid) established an SCKA team (Peregrine Douglas-Home & two volunteers)in Albania to receive the ship and distribute the goods to the refugees.
Conditions in Albania were not easy there was a constant battle against petty theft by dock workers, neighbourhood children, petty Mafiosi and bureaucratic encroachment on everything; but there was a lot of help too from good neighbours, from Greek and Italian NATO troops (AFOR), from other NGOs. The majority of the goods were distributed to refugees staying with host families, with a proportion going to the hosts, who were almost always in equal need. Day after long hot dusty thief-fighting day, SCKA volunteers delivered clothes, food, toiletries in Tirana, Skodra, Korca
June 1999
Edinburgh Direct Aid received 200,000 from a concert organised by the Sunday Mail: these and other funds collected by the constituent charities went to support the SCKA Kosovo project
July 1999
SCKA was one of the first NGO to arrive in Pristina on the heels of NATO SCKA decided to “adopt 10 villages clustered around Polac and Qirez in the hard-hit Drenica valley, near Mitrovica. A team was established there, led again by Stephanie Wolfe-Murray with occasional management support from EDA, and staffed by volunteers from the constituent charities.
August 1999 Summer 2000
By agreement with UNHCR and the main local aid organisation, the Mother Theresa Society, SCKA took responsibility for delivery to the adopted villages of all supplies from the World Food Programme and UNHCR , and for provision of winter shelter.
Septemberctober 1999
Delivery of winter clothes held back from the Spring collection began. Scotland clothed Kosovo! nearly 50 maximum-size articulated lorries brought clothing, bedding, food and toiletries from SCKA warehouses all round Edinburgh, with contributions from Aberdeen and Inverness. Distribution was not only by the SCKA transport team on the ground, but by British and other KFOR units, and many other NGO
September-December 1999
Christian Aid supported SCKA shelter work by means of a 360,000 grant (via EDA). DfiD (the UK Department for International Development) made grants totalling 220,000 for purchase of tools, chickens and tractor parts for the villages (via Connect Humanitarian Aid) and a vehicle for the project. Shelter work proceeded in the adopted and neighbouring villages. SCKA surveyed eventually 400+ houses and issued vouchers for supply of building materials from a local timber merchant: eventually over 200 roof timber structures were permanently repaired and the roofs temporarily covered with heavy duty plastic. Over 500 warm and dry rooms were created. Because SCKA was not locked into a system of predefined “roof-kits” it could respond flexibly to need: using a local supplier, SCKA programme was more successful than was the case with some other NGO’s. USAID made additional timber and other supplies available. LASEDAK (London and South East Direct Aid) brought in funds for school repairs and supplies.
December-February
Christian Aid granted a further 40,000 for emergency shelter work. SCKA joined UNHCR and Malteser in a programme to supply 400 weather-proof and well-insulated prefabricated container-size shelters for families without proper winter accommodation. Malteser prefabricated the units, SCKA and UNHCR field officers assessed need and selected beneficiaries, SCKA and Malteser teams delivered and assembled the units.
April-May – a 3-year-old restored to life
SCKA (through No Frontiers) arranged transport to UK (Mission East) for a surgical operation in Aberdeen which saved the life of a 3 year old boy, Visar, wasting away with an oesophageal obstruction. The operation was wholly successful. A crisis on the return journey was resolved by LASEDAK
March-May
SCKA assisted with preparing business plans and obtaining credit for small businesses: a e.g.: repair of a destroyed flour mill, purchase of a combine harvester, purchase of diesel-test equipment. Some of these were LASEDAK projects.
World Food Programme deliveries and UNHCR deliveries were scaled down, but SCKA continued to delivery to sensitive areas using international drivers. LASEDAK made further funds available for school repairs.
EDA 2d Refugee repatriation programme, April August 2000
IOM (International Organisation for Migration), acting at the request of the UK government, asked EDA to arrange for uplift, despatch and delivery of personal possessions and furniture of Kosovo refugees in the UK returning home by air under the UK voluntary return programme. There were over 300 families to be repatriated, scattered over the length and breadth of the UK.
The scheme: EDA volunteers would collect the furniture from wherever it was, take it to suitably located warehouses. Long haul would be done a commercial carrier, John Shirley Ltd. At the far end, trucks would be received by the SCKA/EDA team in Mitrovica and contents delivered by local drivers using SCKA trucks. Overall cost was estimated at EDA traditional 50 per cubic meter, and each family was theoretically allowed up to 12 cu. Meters.
Doing it:
John Shirley did us proud providing eventually 20 of the largest volume vans on the road.
Our volunteers did us even prouder, collecting goods everywhere Ulverston, Dover, Glasgow, Leeds, to name but a few collection points. Haley Clark and Janis Noble did most of the planning and organisation, and a good deal of the work. Haley, Janis, Des Stewart, Peter Boyd, David Reeks and many other EDA regulars and newcomers hefted 1800 cubic metres 200 tons of clothes and beds and bedding, wardrobes and cookers, televisions, boxes of food, bundles of baby clothes everything along corridors, down stairs across courtyards, and up on to the lorries: then downloaded into the warehouse and uploaded again to the long haul vehicles. It was demonstrated that EDA women volunteers can load washing machines single handed onto high tailboard lorries, no problem! one of the real stalwarts of the uplift and along with Janis Noble , its organisation will tell you more. Many of John Shirley drivers, when they learned that our folk were all volunteers, pitched in alongside: as did the Social Services reps of some towns ( but not of one, which shall be nameless, where they claimed not to be insured for manual labour, so stood and watched then asked for attendance fees!)
Refugees in the South East had accumulated fewer possessions than those elsewhere, but there were nevertheless several truckloads: all the collections in the London area were done by the remarkable Martin Chapell)
KwikFit arranged warehouse space in Birmingham, and Blythswood (a member of the Scottish Charities Kosovo Appeal) gave the use of their depot in Rochester. Another warehouse was rented in Huddersfield.
The SCKA transport team in Mitrovica, led by Pat Rutherford, handled the distribution in Kosovo. The team of local drivers there found all the destinations and endured the inevitable complaints about items broken and missing: efforts were made to replace or compensate for loss, probably not to everyone satisfaction. But most clients were happy enough to see their goods arrive.
Eventually all was accomplished, more-or-less within budget.
West Lothian Council
Edinburgh Direct Aid has co-operated with many agencies and civic authorities, but with none so closely as with West Lothian Council.
June 1999
EDA/SCKA was awarded an EAR (European Agency for Reconstruction) contract for permanent repair of over 400 houses (including replacement of plastic roofing previously supplied). The contract value was 600,000 Euro. + materials. 2000/2001
Reconstruction
In Bosnia we[who?] completed the ECHO contracts engaged on in 1999/2000, and signed up to a new program, for minority return, in Klju and Bosanski Krupa. In Kosovo working as SCKA/EDA, we applied for and obtained an E.A.R. (European Reconstruction Agency) grant for house repair and reconstruction in the Srbica municipality: that is in the area of our dopted villages. Some in SCKA felt that the contract should have been applied for jointly by the Scottish Charities: but prior experience indicated that in view of the magnitude of the financial responsibilities we would have to bear, it would be best as an EDA venture.
Management was initially entrusted old friend Jonathan Dames: but after a few months Jonathan moved on, and the only course seemed to be to bring in Liz McLaughlin to manage both the Kosovo and the Bosnia projects. This was duly done, with great success:
Results:
65 + houses completed in Bosnia, most complete rebuilds. Contract value, 750,000
500+ houses repaired rebuilt in Kosovo, 2/3 complete rebuilds. Contract value 750,000 plus cost of materials.
EDA was often top of the EAR NGO performance league in Kosovo. In Bosnia, EDA was the sole NGO invited to a presentation to EU ambassadors in Krupa , resulting in 75,00 grant from Portuguese Embassy for rebuilding a school! A further contract has just awarded by the US Bureau of Refugess and Migration, for reconstruction and minority return, Krupa Srebrenica. Value, $700,000
The Christine Witcutt Memorial Day-Care Centre
January 2001: a three-way contract was signed with Vladimir Nazor special needs School and Municipality of New Sarajevo. The contract specifies
that the Centre should be housed in a purpose-built but vacant building in the Vladimir Nazor school.
that the School should manage and run the Centre under the superivision of a Management Committee representing all parties.
that EDA will meet all running costs for 5 years
the municipality will take over financial responsibility after five years. The Center opened in September 2001
References
^ Serbs and Croats Attack Besieged Bosnian Town – New York Times
^ House of Commons Hansard Debates for 31 May 1995
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About the Author
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In this day and age most families could not fathom doing without the convenience of an automobile, which makes the buying process an important one. When attempting to choose the right car for your family, it’s important to consider a variety of factors that will help to make sure your ride is a smooth one.
First and foremost, you will need to ensure that your family’s automobile is a safe one. As a consumer, you can check the results of government crash test and/or safety ratings online or by asking your local dealership for further information. If purchasing an SUV, for instance, it may be especially important for you to consider the rollover capability. If you are like most, you will also find it beneficial to learn how the automobile held up in crash test ratings.
If you have children, interior space is likely to be a priority on your list of auto amenities. Whether it’s storage space for toting sports equipment, musical instruments for band practice or just a little extra room for a special trip to the toy store, it’s a good idea to consider comfort in terms of available space, movability and leg room.
Whether you are purchasing a new or used automobile, a warranty is an important consideration. New vehicles typically come with a manufacturer’s warranty, while previously owned automobiles may have a portion of the manufacturer’s warranty remaining or possibly even one that is offered directly from the dealership. If the original manufacturer’s warranty has expired, there may be an option of purchasing an extended warranty from the manufacturer upon request. This is typically only available on newer model vehicles, but it is a consideration for those investing in a previously-owned ride.
If you purchase a used automobile, it’s advisable to ask the seller for the VIN number and/or Carfax report. If the dealership or private owner doesn’t have a Carfax report, you can obtain one yourself using the VIN number. This information is helpful in determining the vehicle’s actual mileage, accident record, service or repair history and more. Additionally, a Carfax report can let you know whether or not the automobile has ever been involved in a recall and/or reported as stolen, both of which are important to know when choosing a vehicle for your family.
For new cars it is possible to request to see the invoice for the car, which will tell you how much the dealership had to pay for the vehicle at their wholesale cost. Many car dealers will bargain to a price within a thousand dollars or so of this invoice price if you negotiate with them. This of course doesn’t apply to some companies like Saturn, which does business at sticker-price only.
Be aware that any “factory rebates” are technically reimbursements from the manufacturer, not the dealer. As such, it isn’t entirely uncommon to be able to purchase a car for BELOW the invoice price if there are a lot of factory incentives available for the model car you are purchasing and the dealer is being particularly flexible on pricing.
Last but not least, the cost of operation for an automobile is a significant consideration when choosing the right vehicle for your family. Gas mileage and the cost of auto insurance are both important in terms of affordability. In general, an SUV uses more gasoline and will carry a higher cost of auto insurance. The age of an automobile also plays a role in the cost of auto insurance, which is typically more expensive on new vehicles than on earlier models.
About the Author
Leslie helps
plan weddings
and spends lots of spare time reading
free recipes
on the web and watching TV shows like
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on the science fiction channel.
Cheaper auto insurance with EVOC certification?
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Thousands of Americans escape from the area every day to explore the open road. In today’s travel planning, taking the extra steps to protect yourself and your home is an essential part of your departure plans.
There are many common things that can go wrong while you are away, so make sure to cover all the basics and leave a secure home before leaving it unattended.
Here are 16 Ways to Secure Your Home:
1- Secure important papers and valuables. Use a personal safe or lock box, or invest in renting a security box from a local company to safeguard any essential valuables that cannot be replaced.
2- Check insurance policies for home, auto, and life. Keep a copy of your insurance papers with your important papers.
3- Alert your trusted neighbors to your vacation. Aware community members are the easiest way to help protect your home if they know that you will be gone.
4- Make sure that windows are closed properly and that valuables are not visible from the outside of your home.
5- Hire a housesitter. This can be a personal friend or a professional. Maintaining your home (plants, animals, etc) and protecting it by giving the appearance of being occupied is easily accomplished by hiring a local responsible teenager or contacting a service.
6- Do not advertise your vacation with people you are not personal friends with. One of the biggest mistakes of going on vacation is bragging to the wrong people at the wrong time: which is generally before you leave. Keep your vacation stories for after you have returned.
7- Put mail on hold or get a secure locking mailbox. The post office will hold you mail for a specific time with a simple request, however locking mailboxes with enough storage can simplify the process if you are consistently traveling.
8- Install automatic timers for your lights. Most home improvement stores carry a variety of digital timers that can turn on at random or programmed intervals. Lights create the illusion of having an occupied residence.
9- Leave your car in the driveway, but make sure to not leave a garage door opener in your car.
10- Lock your garage door externally and internally. Garage doors are created with a mechanism that can be forced open from the outside.
11- Leave a key with a friend or neighbor (in addition to having a housesitter) so that they can double-check your property or be available in case of an emergency.
12- Document your valuables.The easiest way to do this is by photographing or taking video of each room, with a quick shot of any specific high-value items. Store the information somewhere else (security box at the bank, family members house, etc). In the event of loss, this will help you file an insurance claim and make sure you didn’t forget anything.
13- Mark your valuables with an Operation Identification number. Your local police department probably has a pamphlet on this process. You can engrave or etch your drivers license number on to valuables, if stolen and later recovered, police can track you down through the department of motor vehicles.
14- Start a community watch and look out for your neighbors. Everyone goes on vacation, and this is an easy opportunity to establish a good-faith relationship with your community and enhance your overall safety.
15- Turn off all appliances (and even unplug them). Your can minimize the risk of an electrical fire by unplugging any unnecessary appliances.
16- Forward your home phone number to your cell phone (or a family member) to answer calls while you are away.
Finally: create a departure checklist for each family member traveling. Include items on this list, but also include important conversations with children and teenagers to make sure that they are not advertising your absence with the wrong people.
About the Author
Jenny DeRaspe-Bolles is Marketing/PR Specialist at MailBoss – a division of Epoch Design. MailBoss is committed to the design, manufacturing and distribution of a security mailbox of superior quality and value. The Mail Boss locking security mailbox product line secures sensitive mail, helping consumers protect themselves from the epidemic of mail theft and identity theft.
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