MEDIA CONTACT:
Dale Ross
651.207.9652
dross@nationalautobodycouncil.org
Presentation Took Place October 16 in Moreno Valley, CA.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (October 19, 2024) – On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, a single mother in need and her teenage daughter experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of a vehicle to provide both of them critically needed transportation, independence and the ability to get to work and school – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, along with car donor Automobile Club of Southern California and collision repair partner Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop of Moreno Valley, CA., whose technicians fully and beautifully refurbished a 2020 MINI Countryman.
Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop, with their six locations across southern California has gifted dozens of vehicles to local residents in need.
“It’s a blessing to be able to work with the Automobile Club of Southern California, the NABC Recycled Rides program, and the rest of our partners to come together to impact lives,” said Ben Clymer, owner of Ben Clymer’s The Body Shop.
The single mother, who was nominated by the Building Up Lives Foundation and her daughter have struggled with homelessness since escaping from the domestic violence situation. After living in a hotel, they finally found permanent housing but had no vehicle to get to her job, so she was forced to resort to ride sharing to and from work, at a cost of $1,500 a month. Her daughter is straight A student and also has a job. They are both working hard for a better life, however not having reliable transportation and having to use ride sharing is preventing them from saving and moving forward. This gift of a reliable vehicle will greatly enhance their current situation as they work towards maintaining their independence.
“I am still in disbelief,” the recipient said of being gifted the vehicle. “I’m very happy. I would have been grateful for anything, but I was absolutely not expecting such a beautiful vehicle. Everything about it is top notch, premium and high quality. I’m just driving and just constantly saying ‘wow!’ that this happened to me. This is unbelievable.”
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 3,300 vehicles valued at some $47 million.
Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation include, Cars for Charity, Advanced Remarketing Services, and Copart
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 3,300 vehicles and provided extrication opportunities for some 5,500 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.