IntegraCare new car contest created a generous cycle of 'giving'

CAMP HILL, Pa. - March 25, 2016 - PRLog -- When Tamara Wehler had the incredible good fortune to win a new Ford Focus as part of a year-long attendance contest, she figured one good deed should lead to another.

    Wehler's plan to "pay it forward" impacted the life of a friend, who in turn assisted a local church to keep the cycle of good will in motion.

    Wehler is a receptionist at The Woods at Cedar Run, a senior living community in Camp Hill operated by Pittsburgh-based IntegraCare. Her name was pulled during a raffle on January 26. The drawing capped a year-long contest in which IntegraCare employees at eight senior living communities throughout Pennsylvania were entered into the raffle for each pay period in which they had perfect attendance in 2015.

    "When I was sitting in there waiting to hear who won, I was very calm," Wehler said. "Then, when it happened the excitement kicked in. What I remember the most is how happy the people were for me. Everyone was so gracious. The people from IntegraCare were so wonderful as I took it all in."

     Ironically, Wehler and her husband already owned a 2005 Ford Focus.

    "It was a good car," she said. "It was getting to be the time when we were thinking about a new car or no car at all because my husband is retired."

    Suddenly, the Wehlers had an extra vehicle at their home in Etters, York County.

    "My first thought was, 'Good, I can sell our car.' But it didn't feel right," said Wehler, who retired after 30 years as a florist and has been at The Woods for 2 ½ years.

    So, she gave away her used car to an acquaintance in need of an upgrade. The cycle of giving didn't stop there, though.

    "The person I gave the car to needed a car because they do a lot of traveling," Wehler said. "In turn, they gave their car to the church."

     As the saying goes, one good deed leads to another.

     "Tamara made an incredible gesture, which put into motion a cycle of giving," said Julie Seifried, Director of Independent Living Operations at The Woods at Cedar Run. "She gave her old car to an extended family member who then paid it forward again by donating their car to Capital Area Christian Church, the Etters Campus and Pastor Mike Russell. The church then donated the car to a family who is in need of transportation."

     Seifried said while the generosity was extraordinary, Wehler's actions didn't surprise her or the team at The Woods.

    "I think that all positive things work together to make a difference in the world," Wehler said. "I had positive thoughts about the car in June and July when they told us about the program. I just thought about me driving in that car and how a new car smells.

    "Moving forward, I did that for several months," she said. "They gave us a (air) freshener for the car, and I painted that red (to match the color of the new car)."

    Wehler joined IntegraCare at The Woods after years of interacting with team members and residents at the senior community through her work as a florist.

    "I had been to the Woods through my business," she said. "I'd give presentations to the memory care neighborhood, and I'd bring flowers."

    Wehler was one of eight fortunate winners in the IntegraCare Continued Attendance Rewards (CAR) Program, which culminated in the presentation of eight new Ford Focus cars at IntegraCare senior living communities throughout Pennsylvania.

    "It's really wonderful to work at a place that would do something of this magnitude for the people who work there," Wehler said.

To learn more, www.integracare.com.