The National Auto Body Council (NABC), along with GEICO, CARSTAR Collimotive, CARSTAR Superior Auto Body, Jerry’s Abra, and Fix Auto Fort Myers, recently donated refurbished vehicles to three Orlando-area women at the 2023 Driven Brands Collision Conference at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.
The trucks were also stuffed with much-needed items such as car seats, gas cards and gift cards for the recipients and their families.
The NABC has had a long partnership with CARSTAR, Abra and Fix Auto USA, collectively presenting more than 225 Recycled Rides vehicles to military members, veterans and families in need.
“What an incredible experience to partner with CARSTAR, Abra and Fix Auto USA to collectively present these vehicles to these families in need,” said Damien Reyna, COO, U.S. Collision, Driven Brands. “Many thanks to GEICO for donating these vehicles and to our partners for providing parts, materials and support for the restoration process. We strive to give back in our communities, and this is a milestone event.”
Team members and conference guests from NABC, GEICO, CARSTAR Collimotive, CARSTAR Superior Auto Body, Fix Auto USA and Abra gathered on the hotel lawn to present the vehicles to the women, including:
- Knaicare Perry, who was nominated by Family Promise of Greater Orlando and received a 2021 Honda CRV donated by GEICO and refurbished by CARSTAR Collimotive. She is a single mother with children ages four, six and eight. She works at Dominion Outsourcing as a Medicare advisor to care for her family. She struggled with an unreliable car that was in poor condition, and the gift of a vehicle will help her continue to get to work, take the children to school and activities and pursue additional work with services like DoorDash and Uber.
- Zahnea Harris, who was selected by Jobs Partnership of Orlando and is a hard-working mother and grandmother who received a 2021 Nissan Versa donated by GEICO and refurbished by CARSTAR Collimotive. She moved to Orlando from Texas to escape a traumatic situation to establish a new life. She is a mother of three children and cares for her twin one-year-old grandchildren and her 14-year-old child. She recently graduated from the Jobs Partnership LifeWorks program, and Harris works at Walt Disney World as a housekeeper at Port New Orleans hotel. She loves her job, but takes a two-hour bus ride or Uber to get to work and commutes on public transportation with her family to appointments and shopping. She is known for her resilience and determination, and her goal is to return to school for additional training so she can work her way up to leadership. Having reliable transportation will allow her to spend more time with her children, get to work on time and start additional training in school.
- Marie Bromfield, who was nominated by Family Promise of Greater Orlando and received a 2022 Hyundai Sonata donated by GEICO and refurbished by CARSTAR Superior Auto Body. She is a young woman who is the guardian and caretaker for her siblings, ages 16 and 17. She works at Windermere HomeCare, where she handles Direct Support Care for patients. Her job requires a vehicle to take her clients to appointments and outings, and she also has to get her siblings to school, work and activities. Her old vehicle was very unreliable, and that put her job in jeopardy. Sometimes, she had to use Uber to take care of her duties, which cut into her already overwhelming household expenses. A reliable vehicle is essentially her lifeline and she is the lifeline for her siblings. The gift of transportation will ease her stress, help her keep her job and care for her siblings.
Additional partners in the presentation include Drive-N-Style; AsTech; Copart; Enterprise Rent-a-Car; Airport Towing; and 1-800 Charity Cars.
For more information on Recycled Rides, click here.
