NABC Recycled Ride joins GEICO, Car Craft Auto Body Chesterfield in donating vehicle to St. Louis veteran
On September 18, 2020, a deserving St. Louis veteran experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu to provide him independence and the ability to work and take care of his family – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donor GEICO and Car Craft Auto Body Chesterfield.
The recipient, Joey Powell, served on active duty in the U.S. Army for 10 years, deploying to Kuwait, Kosovo andIraq. He also served in the National Guard, and retired in 2019 at the rank of staff sergeant. Powell is married with two children. He is challenged with PTSD from his service, and his wife struggles with health issues, as well. His current car is in poor condition and is unreliable, making it hard to get to work, medical appointments and family activities.
“As a proud husband, father and soldier, it hurts me to have to ask others for assistance,” said Powell. “A reliable vehicle will not only offer our family safe transportation but also peace-of-mind. It will also free us from the financial burden of ongoing, costly maintenance on our old vehicle. I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to everyone who helped make this happen.”
The presentation was held at Car Craft Auto Body in Chesterfield, MO. The deserving recipient was selected by H.E.R.O.S. Care.
“We, at Car Craft Auto Body, are honored and grateful to be a part of such a wonderful program called NABC Recycled Rides®,” said Jenny Kinner, Office Manager for Car Craft Auto Body. “Each donated and refurbished vehicle is as special as the next one. We can’t thank Joey enough for his service in the military. We hope he enjoys driving his new 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as much as we enjoyed repairing it for him.”
“We share our gratitude for Joey Powell’s service, and thank him for his many contributions in the military,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the National Auto Body Council. “We are honored to partner with GEICO and Car Craft Autobody Chesterfield to present this refurbished vehicle to Mr. Powell and his family.”
NABC Recycled Rides® is a unique 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 NABC Recycled Rides® program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated more than 2,500 vehicles valued at more than $36 million.
Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation included 1-800 Charity Cars, Enterprise, JDL Auto Transport, Cooper Color, Weir Parts Center and PPG.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL AUTO BODY COUNCIL®
The National Auto Body Council®, celebrating its’ 25th anniversary in 2020, is the premier organization of collision industry partners dedicated to strategic networking opportunities that positively change lives in the communities we serve. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council® has gifted more than 2,500 vehicles, provided extrication opportunities for more than 3,800 First Responders and contributed to thousands of distracted driving pledges in communities through NABC Recycled Rides®, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC Distracted Driving Initiative™. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC™ membership dollars. The National Auto Body Council® is changing the paradigm of how the collision industry works and is viewed. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.