NABC® Members GEICO and Enfield Collision Repair Donate a Refurbished Vehicle to a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran in Need through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

The NABC Recycled Rides® Presentation Took Place Recently in Enfield, Connecticut.

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL  (February 7, 2025) – On February 4, A U.S. Marine Corps veteran received keys to a newly refurbished vehicle through the NABC Recycled Rides® program and its partners Enfield Collision Repair and GEICO. The donated vehicle will provide David Swift a way to get to medical appointments and regain independence.

The vehicle, a 2021 Honda CR-V, was donated by GEICO and refurbished by technicians at Enfield Collision Repair.

David Swift served his country for four years stateside and overseas in Japan as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was trained in auto maintenance.

After discharge, he struggled with homelessness until he was admitted into the HUD-VASH program, which provides access to subsidized housing and clinical case management services to remain in stable housing. Swift is now successfully rehoused. He is receiving care at V.A. medical centers, but getting to his appointments each week has posed a challenge. The gift of reliable transportation through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program is already allowing him to continue to participate fully in his treatment and giving him a boost toward regaining his independence.

Swift was nominated for the NABC Recycled Rides® program by the Newington Veterans Administration Medical Center.

“Our slogan is ‘do the right thing’, and this is absolutely the right thing,” said Brian Stone, vice president of collision operations for Balise Auto Group, parent company of Enfield Collision. “I’m so proud of the team at Enfield Collision for donating their time, knowledge and skill to help get a local veteran back on the road. Can you imagine having your own wheels now and not relying on a bus or rideshare, cab or family or friends? You have that independence back…and now David has his independence back.”

Enfield Collision Center is an I-Car Gold Class business, a classification earned through the highest level of training and up-to-date knowledge. 

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 Cars for Charity, Advanced Remarketing Services, 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.