Presentation Took Place July 8 at CARSTAR Bloomington North in Bloomington, MN
MEDIA NOTE: Photos from the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation are available HERE
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 8, 2026) – On Wednesday, July 8, a Minneapolis veteran of the U.S Navy received a life changing gift — the donation of a beautifully refurbished vehicle that will allow him to continue moving forward and assist other veterans. The donation was made possible by the NABC Recycled Rides® program, vehicle donor Allstate and repair partner CARSTAR, part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands.
The presentation took place at CARSTAR Bloomington North in Bloomington, MN. The recipient was nominated by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. MACV was established in 1990 and has a long history serving Minnesota veterans by providing services, including housing, employment, and legal aid, that address the reasons for veterans’ homelessness to create sustainable housing opportunities.
“We at CARSTAR were honored to partner with NABC Recycled Rides® and Allstate to donate a reliable vehicle to a deserving veteran in our community,” said Joel Hansen, Chief Executive Officer of Minor Details Automotive Inc. “It is an honor to use our skills to give back, restore independence, and support those who have served our country. From our CARSTAR family to Jeffrey we hope this donation has a big impact on your daily life.”
A 2022 Ford Explorer, donated by Allstate and refurbished by the technicians at CARSTAR Bloomington North, was presented to Jeffrey Larson.
“When I think back to six months ago, I thought my life was over, but it’s not over, it’s just beginning,” said recipient Jeffrey Larson. “This is a beautiful and generous way to make that happen, but I promise to be a good steward of this generosity and will pay it forward.”
Larson served in the U.S. Navy beginning in 1988 and was a nuclear machinist on a fast-attack submarine, earning his dolphins (qualification in submarine warfare) in just 10 months. He earned a Good Conduct Medal and a National Defense Medal for service during the Gulf War, as well as numerous other ribbons for physical fitness and excellence within his units. After four years enlisted, he was honored with a full-ride NROTC scholarship to the University of San Diego, with a major in Political Science and Business. While in his senior year in preparation for commissioning as a US Naval officer, he was deemed medically disabled due to an obscure and non-debilitating medical condition that was considered disqualifying for commissioning. This was devastating for him. Larson had planned a life-long military career and it suddenly came to an abrupt halt. He was honorably discharged and went back to Minnesota. While continuing to struggle with the disappointment of a lost Naval career and the loss of his mother, Larson endured and went on to become successful in the health industry. But, at age 39, he was diagnosed with cancer. Those challenges unfortunately led him into a depression causing him to spiral into a life of bad company and bad decisions. Larson has worked extremely hard to build himself a solid foundation to restart his life. Larson now works mentoring veterans and utilizes public transportation, often taking two hours. With this refurbished vehicle from the NABC Recycled Rides® program vehicle Larson can continue to move forward with his life and to mentor and assist other veterans.
Those in the community can support this life-changing program in two ways – donate to the program directly or donate their unwanted or non-running vehicle through the Changing and Saving Lives Keys for Change program. They will receive a tax donation for their contribution, and proceeds will help provide reliable transportation for those in need across the country – and in their community.
Additional partners in this presentation include: PPG, 3M, Apple Ford White Bear Lake, Enterprise, Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, and Copart.
Allstate, a Level One partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has donated more than 300 vehicles to people and organizations through the NABC Recycled Rides® program, making it one of the largest car donor partners of NABC Recycled Rides®.
CARSTAR is part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands, a level one NABC member, and is an I-CAR Gold Certified network. CARSTAR Bloomington is one of six Twin Cities repair facilities owned by Minor Details Automotive Inc.
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 3,750 vehicles valued at some $67 million.
About the National Auto Body Council®:
The National Auto Body Council® 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 3,750 vehicles valued at more than $67 million and provided extrication opportunities for some 7,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™).
The NABC Changing and Saving Lives Foundation, a 501c3 organization, is committed to the goal of driving change for veterans, military members, first responders and families in need, while harnessing the power of the collective membership of the collision repair industry to positively impact communities where we live and work. As demand for NABC® programs like NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC F.R.E.E.™ grows, so do the needs for resources to manage these important programs. Being able to pursue grants, gifts and donations allows NABC to expand these programs to serve those in need and help communities where we live and work.
The Changing and Saving Lives Foundation Keys for Change program also helps drive funding for key programs. The easy, efficient donation process allows vehicle owners to turn their unwanted vehicles into life-changing support. All vehicle donations fund critical programs that provide support and assistance for families in need, military members, veterans and first responders.
For more information, visit http://www.nationalautobodycouncil.org.