NABC® Members GEICO and Caliber Collision Combine Efforts to Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran through theNABC Recycled Rides® Program

The NABC Recycled Rides® Presentation Took Place Recently in Longview, Texas

Photos and videos from the presentation can be found HERE.

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL  (March 15, 2025) – On Wednesday, March 12, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps received a life-changing gift, a beautifully refurbished vehicle to use to get to his two jobs and more — thanks to the NABC Recycled Rides®  program along with vehicle donor GEICO and collision repair partner Caliber Collision-Longview, an I-CAR Gold Certified repair facility.

The recipient, Emonnie Johnson, enlisted in the USMC and served four years, including multiple deployments to the Middle East in support of Operation Native Fury in the United Arab Emirates. He was decorated several times and honorably discharged. Johnson works two jobs and getting to and from them has been a big challenge and a big drain on his resources.  He feels that the donated 2023 Toyota Camry will enable him to find a better-paying full-time position.

Johnson was nominated for the vehicle donation by the nonprofit Airpower Foundation.

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

Over the past 12 years, Caliber Collision and its industry partners have donated over 100 vehicles to military service members, veterans and other individuals in need of reliable transportation.

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 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.