The National Auto Body Council (NABC), along with GEICO and Caliber Collision, recently donated a refurbished vehicle to 21-year-old Olivia Carter of South Carolina at a very special Recycled Rides presentation at the 2022 Women’s Industry Network (WIN) Conference in Greenville, S.C. This vehicle will help Carter get to work, take care of herself and enroll in college this fall.
Carter was selected by Fostering Great Ideas (FGI), which serves as an advocate for children and teens struggling in the foster care system throughout the nation. They work to bring great ideas to life that improve lives, restore hope, build meaningful relationships and increase community-wide engagement. Their commitment to children provides significant support for them during their foster care journey.
Carter is a FGI Aspire student who also has a longtime mentor with FGI. She has been in foster care from the age of 10 years old until she aged out at 18 years old. She spent most of her time in foster care living in a group home. She now lives with her dad, who travels out of town a lot so she’s home alone a majority of the time with no vehicle. She has to Uber to work every day and relies on online delivery services for groceries and household items. She just got her driver’s license last week, so the presentation of a vehicle is a big day for her as she plans her path to independence and success.
“I’ve never been so happy in my entire life,” said Carter. “I can’t believe this is real. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible. I believe in paying things forward, and I have to find a way to share this gift to help other people now.”
Recycled Rides is a 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 nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.
“Caliber’s purpose is to Restore the Rhythm of Lives for our customers, clients, teammates and those in the communities we serve,” said Shirin Hezar, director of strategic accounts for Caliber Collision. “We are honored at the opportunity to team up with GEICO and the National Auto Body Council to provide this gift of transportation for such an amazing and resilient young woman. On behalf of all the Caliber teammates who volunteered their time and talent to restore this vehicle, we are thrilled to know Olivia now has the keys to independence as she navigates her way on the road to a successful future.”
Enterprise, Caliber Collision and others “stuffed the trunk” with gift cards and items for Carter, and WIN made a donation to help her with her ongoing expenses and education.
“What an amazing young woman,” said Liz Stein, who serves as a board member of the NABC and secretary for the WIN board of directors. “We’re proud to be able to help her achieve the next step on her path to success. We wish her all the best for the future.”
