NABC® Members GEICO and Black Tie Collision Centers Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to Houston Area Family Striving for Self Sufficiency through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

Presentation to Recipient Took Place June 5 in Houston

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (June 6, 2025) – On Thursday, June 5, a family dealing with health issues and lacking transportation received a truly life-changing gift, a fully refurbished vehicle to get them to medical appointments and their jobs—thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, along with vehicle donor GEICO and collision repair partner Black Tie Collision Centers.

The 2020 Kia Sportage LX was donated by GEICO and refurbished beautifully by the skilled technicians at Black Tie Collision Center of Houston.  The recipient, Michael Pinon, was nominated for the NABC Recycled Ride® by Fort Bend Family Promise.

Michael Pinon and family have been working with Fort Bend Family Promise for more than a year to become self-sufficient. The Pinons have overcome homelessness and are dealing with health challenges for themselves and their children. The lack of a working vehicle means that they have not been able to get to doctor appointments and outpatient care. Both parents work and the NABC Recycled Ride® will make their commutes more manageable and will reduce their daily stress and dependence on ride shares.

GEICO, a level one partner of NABC, is the largest donor of vehicles to the NABC Recycled Rides® program, having donated more than 1000 vehicles since 2007.

Black Tie Collision Centers have been serving the great Houston area since 2008 with three I-CAR Gold Certified full-service collision repair locations.

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 the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation included Mobile Tech Solutions, LKQ, Stonewall, 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.