NABC Recycled Rides® Program Joined Nationwide, Farmers Insurance®, Auto Art Collision Specialist, Mission Viejo Auto Collision, and Family Promise of Orange County To Donate Two Refurbished Vehicles
Car Presentation to Recipients was Part of the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) Annual Convention
NEWPORT BEACH, CA – On Wednesday May 4, two deserving Southern California residents experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of two vehicles to provide them independence and the ability to work and take care of their families – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donors Nationwide and Farmers Insurance, collision repairers Auto Art Collision Specialist and Mission Viejo Auto Collision, and charity partner Family Promise of Orange County.
The was part of the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) Annual Meeting in Newport Beach this week. Ed Salamy, Executive Director of ABPA said, “We have been working with the NABC Recycled Rides® program for four years now, and we are proud to host these amazing giftings and see the impact that our industry can have on peoples lives when they all come together for a common cause.”
The two vehicle recipients were selected by Family Promise of Orange County, who works with families, nationwide providing homelessness prevention, emergency shelter, workforce development, education, financial, health and wellness.
“I can’t begin to tell you what a life-changing event this is when our families receive a reliable vehicle,” said Cyndee Albertson, Director of Family Promise of Orange County. “Lauren and her husband were homeless for a few years, and now she works in the service industry trying to help the homeless individuals get off of drugs and get into shelters. With this vehicle, she won’t have to worry about breaking down on the side of the road with three small children anymore.”
Lauren and her husband were in desperate need of reliable transportation to get them both to work and care for their three young children. They had a vehicle that broke down repeatedly. Despite investing all their savings into this car, and it still did not run reliably and would not pass the smog inspection. She was presented with a beautiful 2014 Jeep Cherokee, donated by Farmers insurance and refurbished by Auto Art Collision Specialist in Escondido, California.
Lisa, and single mother with 2 young children, received the second vehicle, a 2020 Hyundai Elantra, donated by Nationwide and repaired by Mission Viejo Auto Collision. Lisa recently found herself homeless, and with the help of Family Promise, is now working to find permanent housing and achieve her goal of obtaining her California Real Estate License. A reliable vehicle is critical to her finding employment and regaining her independence.
“These two young mothers are great examples of people who sometimes just need a hand up,” said Bill Garoutte, president of the National Auto Body Council.“ They are working hard to move forward in their lives and take care of their children, and the refurbished vehicles gifted here today will go a long way towards helping them do just that.”
Enterprise Rent-A-Car representatives Mitchel Shenkin and Jennifer Heckman added a special bonus to the event by providing the families with five brand new car seats, ranging from infant to toddler size, to go along with their new transportation.
NABC Recycled Rides® is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides® program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.
About the National Auto Body Counci®
The National Auto Body Council® is the premier organization of collision industry partners dedicated to strategic networking opportunities that positively change lives in the communities we serve. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council® has gifted nearly 3,000 vehicles, provided extrication opportunities for nearly 5,000 First Responders and is helping educate students and adult drivers in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides®, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC® Drive Out Distraction program. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC® membership dollars. The National Auto Body Council® is changing the paradigm of how the collision industry works and is viewed. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.
