NABC®, American Family and Gerber Collision & Glass Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to a Milwaukee Man in Need at a Brewers Game through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

Media Note: Additional photos from the presentation can be found HERE.

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 10, 2025) – On Tuesday, July 8, before the first pitch of the Milwaukee Brewers-Los Angeles Dodgers game, a man from Milwaukee who is rebuilding his life with positive changes experienced another step in the right direction when he was presented with a beautifully refurbished vehicle to provide him with the ability to commute to work and volunteer to help others in need.

The donation was thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with vehicle donor American Family and repair partner Gerber Collision & Glass. American Family provided the vehicle, and the skilled technicians of Gerber Collision & Glass fully refurbished it.

NABC®, American Family and Gerber Collision & Glass presented a beautifully refurbished 2022 Toyota 4Runner to a deserving man who has overcome adversity:

Dontae Exford has quite a story. He was homeless for almost two years after the pandemic. Even while struggling with depression, he was finally able to find a motivating and rewarding job and was able to move into his own place. Depending on the bus and rideshares has been difficult. This NABC Recycled Ride will make it easier for Exford to find an even better paying job and to support and visit his daughter who lives in another state. Exford’s goal is to start his own truck driving company and to hire other individuals with depression to help them cope and move forward as he has. Having a vehicle will give Exford the opportunity to volunteer and show other men that, with a little hard work and determination, anything is possible.

Exford was nominated for the NABC Recycled Ride® by Community Advocates of Milwaukee.

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 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.

American Family, a frequent contributor of vehicles to NABC Recycled Rides® program, is committed to improving communities, the environment and the people it serves.

Gerber Collision & Glass, founded in 1937 as a single glass and trim shop, has grown to be one of the largest auto collision and glass repair companies in North America. Gerber Collision & Glass locations are all I-CAR Gold Certified repair facilities.

Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation included Agero, Glass America, Mobile Auto Solutions, Zeigler Toyota, Hi-Tech PDR, Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Copart, and Enterprise.

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 3,500 vehicles and provided extrication opportunities for some 6,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides®, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC® Community Impact program. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC® membership dollars.

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. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.