NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 11, 2012—The National Auto Body Council (NABC) on Thursday gifted vehicles to several New Orleans families through its Recycled Rides program during the 2012 NACE Expo.
Recycled Rides is a national effort in which NABC members refurbish and donate vehicles to families and service organizations in need of transportation. Body shops donate labor to refurbish the vehicles, and various insurers and vendors make in-kind donations to complete the projects.
Four local shops in the New Orleans market refurbished the six vehicles that were donated during NACE. The shops included Car Craft Collision Centers, Champ's Collision Centers, Collision Xperts and Fradella's Collision Center. Those are four of the same shops that the NABC offered assistance to roughly seven years ago after Hurricane Katrina.
The NABC said five insurance companies donated the vehicles for refurbishing—Allstate, Esurance, GEICO, Progressive and State Farm. Enterprise Rent-A-Car also donated a vehicle.
“The goal is to help people help themselves,” said Chuck Sulkala, executive director of the NABC. “And all of the industry segments commit to playing a part in seeing that happens. Most that participate find it a life-changing experience.”
