On Tuesday (April 15), Crash Champions, Allstate Insurance, and local community partners gathered at the Crash Champions New Lenox repair center to present a donated vehicle to a Chicago-area veteran and single mother in need as part of the National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides® program.
Kathryn Spangler, a U.S. Armed Forces veteran who served honorably in the Air Force for three years, was nominated to receive the refurbished vehicle by Veterans Path to Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides support programs and services to veterans and their families.
Kathryn, a single mother of two children, had to sell her car to continue paying for housing for her family. She is currently taking classes and hopes to work with the VA when her courses are complete to help others.
“I am incredibly grateful to all those involved in this life-changing donation who came together to meet the basic yet crucial need for transportation,” said Spangler. “Having the ability to drive myself to and from work and transport my kids will significantly improve our situation and set us up for success in the future. I look forward to using this generous gift to give back to my local community as I pursue a career in suicide prevention.”
The vehicle, a fully restored Honda Fit, will provide Spangler with a reliable means of transportation for her and her children. The car was restored to like-new condition by certified auto body technicians from Crash Champions’ New Lenox repair center and donated for the giveaway by Allstate.
“The Crash Champions team is thankful for the opportunity to work with our national and local partners on such a meaningful cause,” said Matt Ebert, Crash Champions founder and CEO. “We are deeply grateful for those who selflessly serve our country and are proud to support such a deserving recipient like Kathryn. We hope that this refurbished vehicle will be a significant resource for Ms. Spangler and her family and will support her in her pursuit of giving back to those in need.”
NABC Recycled Rides® is a collaborative program through which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families needing 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.
Crash Champions is a Level One partner of the NABC®, and a long-standing supporter of the NABC Recycled Rides® program and has donated hundreds of vehicles through the program in the last five years.
About Crash Champions
Crash Champions is one of the largest founder-led multi-shop operators (MSO) of high-quality collision repair service in the U.S., serving customers and business partners at more than 650 state-of-the-art repair centers across 38 states — including Crash Champions LUXE | EV Certified repair centers. The company was founded in 1999 as a single Chicago repair center by industry veteran Matt Ebert, a 2023 Winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Midwest Award. For more information, and to locate a local repair center, visit www.crashchampions.com. Industry professionals interested in career opportunities at Crash Champions are encouraged to visit careers.crashchampions.com.
