July 30, 2013—The National Auto Body Council (NABC) recently announced it will shift its organizational efforts in an attempt to re-launch Operation Comfort’s AutoMotivation program as soon as possible.
The AutoMotivation program, designed to help wounded soldiers learn skills in automotive repair, has been dormant since March 2012 when its previous facility in San Antonio was sold. This pushed the NABC to rally industry support for a capital campaign to purchase a permanent training facility and provide an accredited job-training curriculum for the veterans.
In recent NABC board meetings, the organization decided it could help the Operation Comfort cause more immediately by putting a primary focus on funding and supporting the program, rather than working toward a new facility.
“Many disabled veterans will be better served today with industry resources re-focused on helping AutoMotivation become fully operational so they once again have the opportunity to receive the positive therapeutic benefits they deserve,” said Chuck Sulkala, executive director of NABC.
A newly appointed NABC committee will focus its efforts to help promote awareness for AutoMotivation as well as help procure equipment, training or financial support to meet program needs.
“Whether it is simply changing a tire or working on restoring a complete vehicle, these activities are important first steps in the recovery process for many participants in AutoMotivation,” said Janis Roznowski, executive director of Operation Comfort.