Life-Changing Vehicle Donations Support Deserving Families and Veterans
The National Auto Body Counsil Recycled Rides program has not slowed down as summer winds down, delivering life-changing vehicles to deserving recipients.
Star Smith, a single mother of three, received a 2022 Toyota Camry XSE on September 2. Navigating life as a single parent has come with many sleepless nights and difficult decisions. Without a vehicle, basic tasks like getting her sons to school, attending appointments, or even grocery shopping are monumental tasks.
The donated vehicle will ease Smith’s daily burdens and is a powerful message to her children that good things come to those who never give up.
“Thank you so much, you don’t understand how much this means to me and my boys to have something this nice,” she said. “I haven’t had a vehicle for a couple of months. I gave my son my car because I have a grandbaby on the way. I’ve never had a car this nice.”
Liberty Mutual donated the vehicle and it was refurbished by Maaco Tempe.
Keskel Yatrofsky, who serves in the U.S. Air Force, received a 2023 Toyota Camry. The vehicle will help Yatrofsky serve his country without having to worry about how he will get to work, training, or any off-base adventures. On weekends, he will no longer be confined to the on base dorms, as a refurbished vehicle will allow him the freedom to explore.
Brian Westbrook, former running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, helped present the keys to the car across from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on September 3.
“These young men don’t want a handout, they deserve a hand up, they need to be able to drive back and forth to work and that’s what we want to provide to them,” said Brian Westbrook. “We’re blessed to have these young men and women serve us and help us and protect us. To be able to see the smile on Keskel’s [Yatrofsky] face as he received this car was absolutely great.”
The vehicle was donated by USAA and refurbished by 3D Auto Body and Collision.
U.S. Army veteran Christopher Tucker received a 2018 Honda CR-V EX in Orange County, California, on September 5. As he takes care of his daughters, he also continues to look for ways to give back to his veteran brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, he has struggled with missing work due to an unreliable vehicle; it frequently breaks down and leaves him stranded.
“I’m elated, I’m not used to this amount of support from the community,” said Tucker. “The technicians donated their time, their money and their efforts to give me a reliable vehicle to get to and from work and to and from my daughter in San Diego. It’s been a dream of mine to work with veterans and now I will have the ability to do so”
Tucker was nominated for the NABC Recycled Rides program by the Wounded Warrior Project, the nation’s leading veteran’s service organization, dedicated to the total well-being of post 9/11 wounded, ill or injured veterans and their families. GEICO donated the vehicle, which was refurbished by Caliber Collision.
Mercedes Foreman, a single mother of five, received a 2021 Honda Pilot in Tempe, Arizona, on August 28. Just two years ago, the Foreman family was struggling with homelessness. Foreman has worked extremely hard to get her family out of that cycle. With each of her children having unique needs and participating in a variety of activities, the lack of reliable transportation is often overwhelming for Foreman.
The donation will allow Foreman to simplify routine tasks like school drop-offs and grocery shopping. It would also allow Foreman’s children to enjoy enriching experiences like sports and other community events.
“I’m really overwhelmed, really excited, and so grateful for this opportunity, it’s going to change my life, and I just thank everybody so much,” said Foreman.
Allstate donated the vehicle and Fix Auto Tempe refurbished it.
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 NABC have donated more than 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.