Jorge Hernandez had lost all hope, all dreams, both legs, and use of his hands in a near-death accident. He had been a natural athlete in high school who also found success in business early.
He was well on his way to his goal to become a real estate investor. Then the market crashed and so did he, spiraling down an unhealthy lifestyle, which culminated in an accident in which a friend fell asleep at the wheel.
Hernandez is one of five individuals and families in Las Vegas who are overcoming life challenges and who have been selected to receive a car donation as part of the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides annual luncheon during the SEMA Show.
The event takes place at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the Paradise Event Center at the Las Vegas Westgate Hotel.
The vehicles were donated by Allstate, GEICO, State Farm, Hertz and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. The vehicles were refurbished by technicians at local repair shops Caliber Collision-Henderson, Gerber Collision & Auto Glass, Service King Green Valley, MAACO Henderson and New Look Collision, who volunteer and donate their personal time. Parts, paint and other materials were donated by suppliers and manufacturers for a 100-percent collaborative industry effort.
Hernandez today is walking and driving again and on a mission, to tell his story of redemption and survival, giving back to hospitals, rehab centers, veterans, burn survivors, and amputees who are going through similar challenges. The Recycled Rides recipients were nominated by Family Promise of Las Vegas and the Marine Corps League.
In addition to Hernandez, the other recipients include:
- A single father, Brandon Gonzales, and his 6-year-old son, Braydon.
- Earl and Sheri Shaw, who leave their house up to four hours before they must be at work so they can drop off 7-month-old daughter, Jasmin, at daycare and make it to work on time, by foot and public transportation.
- Marine veteran Javier Rivera-Suarez and his wife, Estela, and two sons who are transitioning from homelessness to an apartment of their own.
- Tamara Lugman, also transitioning out of homelessness and starting a new job.
The Recycled Rides program is an industry-wide collaborative community service program in which businesses in the collision industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to those in need. The restored vehicles provide recipients with much-needed transportation as they restore their own lives.
Since the inception of Recycled Rides 10 years ago, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated nearly 2,000 vehicles nationwide, changing and saving lives for thousands of individuals across the country.
