An Orlando-area U.S. Army veteran recently received a refurbished vehicle to help him and other veterans in their recovery from the effects of war, courtesy of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program.
The April 7 presentation was sponsored by PPG and held during its MVP conference at the Omni Amelia Island resort.
The vehicle, a 2022 Ram 1500, was donated by Allstate and refurbished by the expert technicians at Gerber Collision & Glass of Jacksonville, FL. It was presented to Jose Belen, who was nominated for the donation by One Heart for Women and Children.
Belen enlisted in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Iraq, where the harsh realities of war soon shattered any preconceptions formed by television portrayals. In a devastating turn of events, two days before Christmas 2003, his best friend and captain died in combat. Belen was left to carry the remains, an experience that left indelible scars on his soul. After his military service ended in 2005, Belen faced serious recovery issues, but he found solace in art therapy. Through this creative outlet, he discovered a new passion that he credits with saving his life.
Today, Belen’s mission is to support fellow veterans grappling with addiction, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. His dedication to ending veteran suicide is unwavering, and he uses art as a powerful tool for healing.
The NABC Recycled Rides donated vehicle will enable Belen to continue his vital work, take his daughter to school, and provide the assistance that helps others emerge from the depths of depression.
“I just want to say thank you for allowing me to empower veterans out there, and have a safe and reliable ride,” said Belen. “This is something I never could have dreamed of.”
PPG, a level one NABC member, is a leader in innovation, color and technology in the automotive refinish market. The PPG MVP conference provides comprehensive business solutions and support for collision repair shop owners looking to reduce cycle time and improve operational efficiency.
“This has become a tradition at our PPG conference to work with our industry partners to present NABC Recycled Rides vehicles to local families in need,” said Tom Wolf, North American sales director for PPG and chairman of the NABC board. “It’s an honor to be able to gift a vehicle to a veteran like Jose Belen and help him continue his recovery. Many thanks to our partners at Allstate for donating this vehicle and at Gerber for an incredible job on refurbishing it. We wish Jose all the best in the future.”
Allstate has donated hundreds of vehicles to people and organizations in need through the Recycled Rides program. It and Gerber Collision & Glass are also level one members of the NABC.
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 program in 2007, members have donated more than 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.
Additional partners in this presentation included Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Copart, Dent Logic and Extreme Towing.
