NABC® Members Crash Champions and Allstate Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to a Chicago-area U.S. Air Force Veteran in Need through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

The NABC Recycled Rides® presentation took place Tuesday in West Lenox, Illinois

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL  (April 18, 2025) – On April 15, a decorated veteran of service in the United States Air Force received a truly exceptional gift—the donation of a beautifully refurbished vehicle that will help with challenges involving homelessness, job insecurity and the needs of her two children. It was made possible by the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, Allstate and Crash Champions.

The vehicle, a 2018 Honda Fit, was donated by Allstate and refurbished by the expert technicians at Crash Champions of New Lenox.  It was presented to Kathryn Spangler, who was nominated for the NABC Recycled Rides® program by Veterans Path to Hope.

Kathryn Spangler served her country for four years in the United States Air Force.  Recently, she had to sell her car to pay for housing for herself and her children, but she lost her job because she had no transportation.  She found rental assistance through Veterans Path to Hope and is settled in an apartment. She has been working two jobs, walking to one and taking public transportation to the other.  Spangler is taking training classes from the Veterans Administration to be able to help people in danger of suicide, and she hopes to work with the V.A. when she completes the course. The NABC Recycled Rides® donated vehicle will provide tremendous relief for Spangler. She has turned her life around and the vehicle will make a major difference for her and her family.

This presentation took place at the site of the founding of Crash Champions in New Lenox in 1999.  Over the following 26 years, Crash Champions has grown to include more than 650 locations in 38 states. All Crash Champions locations are I-CAR Gold Certified repair facilities.

“We are deeply grateful for those who selflessly serve our country and are proud to support such a deserving recipient like Kathryn,” said Shane Dimmett, vice president of operations for Crash Champions. “We hope this refurbished vehicle will be a significant resource for Kathryn and her family and will support her in her pursuit of giving back to those in need.”

Allstate, a Level One Partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has donated hundreds of vehicles to people and organizations in need through NABC Recycled Rides®.

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.

Additional partners in this NABC® Recycled Rides presentation included 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.