A total of four people from North Carolina and Florida recently received the life-changing gift of reliable transportation, thanks to the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program and several insurance and car repair partners that donated and fixed damaged vehicles.
Kannapolis, NC
NABC, GEICO and Crash Champions-Wilshire Court presented a fully refurbished 2016 Hyundai Sonata to Tonya Harden of Kannapolis, NC.
The jobs that Harden is seeking are in Charlotte and she lacked the transportation to get there, until now.
Harden’s elementary school child has a long walk, often in bad weather, to arrive at school. Her other child, who has a disability, needs to get to appointments. Project 70 Forward, a nonprofit that works with families with disability issues, nominated Harden for the car donation. With the gift of a reliable vehicle, Harden is now better able to provide for her family.
Sawgrass, FL
Elizabeth Rodriguez received a 2017 Toyota Corolla from the NABC, Bristol West Insurance and Sawgrass Ford.
Elizabeth Rodriguez received a 2017 Toyota Corolla.
As a single mother who immigrated legally to the U.S. from Cuba, Rodriguez has demonstrated immense determination and resilience in seeking opportunities in a new country. Currently employed as a contact lens specialist while continuing her education to become a licensed optician, Rodriguez is juggling multiple responsibilities. This donated car will eliminate the stress associated with coordinating rides or adhering to rigid public transportation schedules and will provide a more stable and nurturing environment for her daughter.
Bill Condron, fixed operations manager for Sawgrass Ford, spoke for his team when he said, “We see this is a chance to give back to the community, to someone in need.”
West Palm Beach, FL
A single mother from Boca Raton, FL, and a man from West Palm Beach each received a vehicle from the NABC, GEICO and Crash Champions West Palm Congress.
Rose Clark received a 2019 Honda CR-V. Clark has faced a series of hardships since a change in her marital situation a year ago caused her to become a single mother. She and her four children lived for a while in their van. They now have stable housing, but the van was beyond repair. This donation will make a world of difference in getting Clark to work and allowing her to take her children to school.
Rose Clark received a 2019 Honda CR-V, while Javen Bennett received a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica.
Javen Bennett received a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. Bennett grew up in an atmosphere of violence and disadvantage. He started with a mentor from Inner City Innovators at the age of 15. He had little confidence and no hope for his future, but his nominator said through the years, he became a confident, driven and inspiring young man, with a good job. The donated vehicle will make it much easier to get to work and appointments.
Additional partners in the presentations included Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists, 1-800 Charity Cars, Keller Hyundai, Rick’s Complete AutoGlass, Copart, INA Towing, Advanced Remarketing Services, Express Parts, Lipton Toyota, W.P.B. Rebuilt Inspectors-West Palm Beach and Enterprise.
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 program in 2007, NABC members have donated more than 3,300 vehicles valued at some $47 million.
