Farmers Insurance®, an organization with a longstanding commitment to the military, donated cars to two veterans during a special ceremony on Dec. 18 at the Farmers offices in Westlake Village. Farmers teamed up with local repair shops Cerritos Nissan and CARSTAR to restore the vehicles and provide reliable transportation to the deserving recipients and their families as part of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides® program.
“Farmers Insurance is passionate about giving back to the communities in which our employees and agents live and work, especially during this season of giving,” said Joe Flowers, Head of California Auto Claims for Farmers. “Farmers® celebrates the brave men and women who have served our country, including the honorable opportunity to gift members of the military with a vehicle to help them support themselves and their families.”
The vehicles were restored by technicians at Cerritos Nissan and CARSTAR who volunteered personal time to refurbish the cars. The teams also engaged local businesses to donate gifts, toys and certificates to “stuff the trunk” with additional surprises for the recipients and their families.
“It is an honor to work with industry leaders like Farmers Insurance, CARSTAR and Cerritos Nissan to provide reliable transportation to these deserving veterans,” said Darren Huggins, Chairman of the National Auto Body Council. “During the holidays, and throughout the year, the generosity of the NABC members is inspiring as we work together on our mission of Changing and Saving Lives Every Day.”
The lack of dependable transportation can be a major obstacle in the way of completing everyday routine tasks, like commuting to work or school. The Southern California-based military veterans are thankful for the independence and opportunities the newly donated cars can provide.
The recipients were nominated by Volunteers of America Greater Los Angeles:
Christopher Brewer, who received a Mazda 5 from CARSTAR, is a U.S. Army veteran and single dad of three children. After his service, he struggled to establish a consistent life for his family, and experienced homelessness for a time. Today, he is a student at Los Angeles Harbor College and has his own catering business, through which he often provides complimentary catering to several local children’s groups. A gift of transportation will help him continue to care for his family, complete his education and expand his catering business.
Marnisha Mintlow, (shown above), a U.S. Marine Corps. veteran, received a Nissan Altima from Cerritos Nissan. Mintlow is a 90 percent service-connected disabled veteran. After a divorce left her in limbo, she relocated to Los Angeles and moved into transitional housing. Now, Mintlow has completed her MBA and is working full time, which is difficult with her medical challenges and lack of reliable transportation. With the car, Mintlow will be able to enjoy more independence and would like to pay it forward by giving back to her community.
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 2,400 vehicles valued at more than $34 million.ABOUT FARMERS INSURANCE
“Farmers Insurance” and “Farmers” are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services and products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with over 19 million individual policies nationally through the efforts of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 21,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange, the largest of the three primary insurers that are part of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list.
For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.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 2,400 vehicles, provided extrication opportunities for over 1,600 First Responders and contributed to thousands of distracted driving pledges in communities through NABC Recycled Rides, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC Distracted Driving Initiative™. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC membership dollars. The National Auto Body Council is changing the paradigm of how the collision industry works and is viewed. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.
