NABC® Members GEICO and Joe Hudson’s Collision Centers Combine Efforts to Change the Lives of an Alabama Family with the Donation of a Refurbished Vehicle through the NABC Recycled Rides® Program

The NABC Recycled Rides® Presentation Took Place Recently in Birmingham

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL  (March 6, 2025) – On Thursday, February 27, an Alabama mother of two received the gift of a lifetime – the presentation of a vehicle to give her the opportunity to get job training, a housing solution and help for her family – thanks to the NABC Recycled Rides®  program along with car donor GEICO and collision repair partner Joe Hudson’s Collision Centers. The presentation took place at the Hudson collision center in Birmingham, Alabama.

NABC, GEICO and Joe Hudson’s donated a beautifully refurbished 2018 Kia Soul to Heather Johnson, a hardworking mother of two who is trying to do the best she can to get ahead in life. She has been a shelter client longer than usual due to several stubborn barriers in housing, one of which is transportation to job training and appointments.

Johnson lives in Mobile and has become skilled at using Mobile’s public transportation system and rideshares to get around, but the cost of ride shares can be expensive. Despite the challenges she has been facing, Johnson always has a smile on her face. Receiving this gift of a vehicle allows her to pursue potential job opportunities and obtain stable housing.

Johnson was nominated by Family Promise of Coastal Alabama, whose mission is to provide temporary shelter, related services and nurturing support to families as they work to achieve and sustain independence.

There are more than 250 Joe Hudson’s Collision Center locations in the Southeast, Midwest and Atlantic states, many of which have participated in NABC Recycled Rides® car donations over the years.

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

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.