NABC Members GEICO and Caliber Collision Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to a Deserving South Carolina Veteran through NABC Recycled Rides Program®

The Car Presentation Took Place Wednesday, March 20 in Lexington, South Carolina

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (March 22, 2024) – A deserving veteran from North Charleston has experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of a vehicle to provide her independence and the ability to work and take care of her daughter – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donor GEICO and repair partner Caliber Collision.

The presentation was held at the Caliber Collision shop on Columbia Avenue in Lexington.

“It is very exciting for us to help this deserving veteran,” said George Rudge, regional manager for Caliber Collision. “She served our country and endured many hardships.  There couldn’t be a more worthy person to get this vehicle.”

Kristie McLaurine is a service-connected disabled veteran and single mom.  She was nominated for the NABC Recycled Rides® program by the Tri-County Veterans Support Network. McLaurine and her daughter have struggled with homelessness, but they are now settled into a stable living situation.  Using ride-shares to get her daughter to school has been very difficult on her limited income. The donated car will not only help with her daughter’s needs but will allow McLaurine to work and volunteer to help other veterans as she has been helped.

Recipient Kristie McLaurine was ecstatic to receive the fully refurbished 2018 Hyundai Elantra. “Dreams can come true,” she told local TV outlet WTLX. “Trouble doesn’t last always.  There is always hope.”

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 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 3,300 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.