A former middle-class San Diego family of five, rocked by a series of financial and medical misfortunes and now living in a homeless shelter, will be able to start off the new year on a positive note with a refurbished minivan donated by Caliber Collision Centers as part of the company’s participation in the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides program.
The Nelson family was presented with a 2001 Dodge Caravan Jan. 14 at Caliber’s San Marcos location.
"Our hope is that this Recycled Rides gift will help the family get back on the road to a normal life with reliable transportation to get their three children to school and mom and dad back to work," said David Goldstein, Caliber Collision VP of operations.
This gifting at Caliber’s San Marcos center was one of many Recycled Rides that the company plans to donate over the next 12 months across California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas, according to Michael Quinn, Caliber Collision VP of industry and community relations. Last month before the holidays, the company’s Riverside, Calif., location donated a refurbished 2006 Honda CRV to a single mother of four sons whose youngest is undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.
For the Nelson family in San Diego, their misfortunes started when Tim, an ex-Marine and corrections officer, began suffering from severe migraines, high blood pressure and other debilitating symptoms that eventually were diagnosed as kidney cancer. With Tim unable to work and undergoing medical treatment, the family’s savings soon ran out and triggered a downward spiral of downsizing, bouncing from friends’ homes and motels, living in a car and finally moving into a homeless shelter.
Throughout it all, mom Nellie managed to ensure the children stayed in school by getting up at 4:30 a.m. to take public transportation.
Recycled Rides is a national program in which auto body repairers collaborate with insurers, parts suppliers and other vendors to refurbish and donate vehicles to needy families. Technicians and other staff members at the Caliber Collision San Marcos donated their time to fix the vehicle as well as solicit and collect contributions for the family.
Other companies that donated parts, materials and services for the Recycled Rides vehicle include: Mobile Auto Cool, Paulo’s Auto Service, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, LKQ, OEM Recycle-Aftermarket by Keystone, West Auto Wreckers, Mobile Airbag Installation, Inner City Tow & Transport, A1 Vinyl & Leather Repair, North County Mobile Electronics, Specialized Auto Service, Auto Image, Akzo Nobel and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
"We appreciate the support of our business partners and the community in this project," Quinn said. "Our goal with the Recycled Rides program is to give back to the communities we serve as we restore our customers to the rhythm of their lives."
More information:
Caliber Collision Centers
