From the open road to opening doors: one traveller’s extraordinary gift

At 68, she’s already sailed across an ocean with no prior sailing experience. Now, she’s handing over the keys to her home on wheels to help give young people at risk of homelessness a brighter future.

Josie’s* 2021 Ford Transit camper van has carried her solo across two years of travel, clocking up just 30,000 kilometres along the way. Its extendable bed can sleep two, and it’s been fitted out to a standard most weekend campers could only dream of: a 120-litre water tank, diesel heating for cold nights and even a washing machine on board.

She bought the van from a husband and wife team. He handled the mechanical fit-out, while she styled the interior.

The result, Josie says, is one of the most comfortable homes she’s ever had, on four wheels or otherwise.

This year, life had other plans. Josie needed shoulder surgery, and a string of unexpected setbacks meant the van sat unused. She decided it was time to sell, listing it on carsales for $97,000. There was plenty of interest, but when it came to crunch time, the sale fell through.

Rather than relist and wait, Josie went looking for a better way and found Kids Under Cover’s Donate Your Car program.

What she loved was the simplicity of it.: The van is sold at auction through Manheim, with the proceeds supporting Kids Under Cover’s work to prevent youth homelessness through its relocatable studio and scholarship programs. In return, Josie receives a tax-deductible receipt for the full auction sale amount.

“A win-win”, in her words: her van goes on to a new owner, while a cause she cares about receives much-needed funding.

Nothing stops her once she’s decided.

That decisiveness is a theme in Josie’s life. Years ago, she decided she wanted to cross an ocean. She’d never sailed before, so she got certified, put out an ad looking for someone to join her and found a sailing companion. Not long after, she’d crossed the Atlantic.

“It’s really important to cross through your fears,” she says.

Josie is open about coming from a difficult background, but she’s found her own antidote: immersing herself completely in the things she’s passionate about.

“If you can find something in life that you’re passionate about, something to pursue, you can shift your focus away from the parts of life that are challenging,” she says. “Immerse yourself in what you love.”

Now, that same spirit is carrying her van into its next chapter, through the Manheim auction and into the hands of its next owner.

Thank you, Josie, for your generosity and for sharing so much of yourself through your story. We’re grateful to be part of your van’s next chapter.