Two hardworking mothers in Ohio have received life-changing gifts -- fully refurbished vehicles -- through the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides program, in partnership with GEICO and Diehl Collision Center.
The vehicles were presented during a recent event at Diehl Collision Center in East Massillon, OH, where technicians volunteered their time to restore the cars for donation.
Mariah Cross, a mother of four who works two jobs, received a 2017 Kia Forte. Without a vehicle, Cross had been relying on friends and family for transportation, making it difficult to manage work schedules and her children’s school and extracurricular activities. She was nominated for the donation by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina and Stark Counties.
A second vehicle, a 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander, was presented to Baiyina Burney, the food outreach coordinator for the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Burney’s previous car was unreliable, posing challenges in her job, which requires frequent travel. The new vehicle will also help ensure her children have dependable transportation to school. She was nominated by Special Olympics Ohio.
“When this all started, GEICO dropped off two cars that needed substantial work,” said Jason Glovas, Diehl Collision manager. “Now that we have finished with the two vehicles, it was very nice to see the appreciation on the recipients’ faces; it was very rewarding.”
“I am so happy,” said Diehl team member Richard Haag Jr. “I almost cried when one of the recipients gave a speech. She didn’t say much, but you could tell she really needed this. Just to be able to give that to her meant a lot.”
GEICO, the largest vehicle donor to the Recycled Rides program, has contributed more than 1,000 vehicles since 2007. The NABC launched the initiative to unite collision repair professionals and businesses in repairing and donating vehicles to individuals and families in need. To date, the program has donated more than 3,500 vehicles valued at approximately $51 million.
Additional partners in the presentation included Diehl Kia, Diehl Hyundai, Flynn Tire, Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Company, Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Enterprise and Copart.
