NABC® Joins Member Insurers and Collision Repair Centers to Donate Refurbished Vehicles to Orlando-area Women in Need Through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

Car Presentations to Recipients Took Place at the Women’s Industry Network Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida

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

Port Charlotte, FL – May 12, 2024 – On Tuesday, May 6, as part of the Women’s Industry Network Conference, three women recovering from adversity each experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of a vehicle to provide each of them with much needed transportation – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donors GEICO and Allstate and collision repair partners Caliber Collision, Crash Champions and CARSTAR.

The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) exists to drive the advancement of women in the collision repair industry by attracting, developing, and promoting women into collision repair professions.

Three strong, resilient women, nominated by One Heart Women and Children received three much-needed vehicles at the WIN conference.

NABC®, Crash Champions and GEICO donated a fully refurbished 2019 Honda Civic LX to Carolina Uchoa, once owner of a thriving business, who faced unimaginable challenges when a relationship marred by domestic violence took away her business and left her without vision in one eye. Losing part of her sight also led to losing hope, and she battled addiction during this difficult period. However, three years ago, Uchoa began volunteering at One Heart Orlando, a food bank for those in need, where she found solace and purpose. There, she encouraged other individuals facing tough times and even inspired the staff with her resilience. Uchoa has begun to regain her sight, a miracle that continues to astonish her doctors. The NABC Recycled Ride® will enable her to live out her potential and serve the community in ways she’s always dreamed of. 

NABC®, GEICO and Caliber Collision presented a beautifully refurbished 2018 Dodge Journey SE Mazda CX-5 to Jennifer Schimka, who has returned to the workforce after the dissolution of a long marriage. She is enjoying her work as a pet groomer, but the work is an hour from her home, and she has to borrow her daughter’s car to get there. The financial strain of saving for a vehicle has been a significant burden. Schimka has volunteered for One Heart for Women and Children, where she dedicated her time and energy to helping those in need. The NABC Recycled Rides® will help her on her path to independence and empower her to continue making a positive impact in her community.

NABC®, Allstate and CARSTAR donated a fully refurbished 2018 Honda Accord Sport to Nantita Seoane, a single mother of two children. She has been relying on the kindness of others, public transportation and rideshares to meet all her family’s transportation needs. Seoane has worked with the One More Child Anti-Trafficking Mobile Team program, consistently exceeding expectations and achieved remarkable goals, showing great perseverance and dedication. The donation of this vehicle will be life-changing for the Seoane family. It will provide them with reliable transportation, giving the mother the freedom to get her children to school, enjoy family outings, and establish a stronger foundation for them all.

Crash Champions, Caliber and CARSTAR are all I-CAR Gold Certified repair centers.

Allstate and GEICO have donated hundreds of vehicles to NABC Recycled Rides® since the program was founded in 2007.

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.

The sponsoring partner in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation was the Women’s Industry Network. Additional sponsors included Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, A R C Towing Service, PPG, Ben’s Paint & Supply, Lenny’s Wheel Service, LKQ, 3M, Beck Wholesale, Caliber Auto Glass, Protech, AutoZone, Tire Kingdom, Auto Tune Detailing, Rapid Response! Towing, Copart and Enterprise.

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 it serves. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council® has gifted more than 3,500 vehicles and provided extrication training 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.