On Saturday, June 27, a Brooklyn, N.Y., single mother received a donated, refurbished vehicle through the NABC Recycled Rides program. The vehicle donor was Allstate and the repair partner was CARSTAR, part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands.

Presentation Details

The presentation took place at CARSTAR Brooklyn Auto Solutions in Brooklyn, N.Y., as part of a celebration of its fourth year in business.

The recipient was nominated by Canarsie Community Development and the Canarsie Merchants Association. Canarsie Community Development Inc. (CCDI) is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization dedicated to neighborhood beautification, climate resilience and community preparedness in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Recipient and Vehicle

A 2024 Nissan Altima, donated by Allstate and refurbished by the technicians at CARSTAR Brooklyn Auto Solutions, was presented to Monique Johnson.

Johnson recently became a mother at 40 years of age. Her infant son was born with a large cyst in his abdomen that requires surgery, and his days have been filled with appointments with pediatric surgeons, specialists and doctors. As a single mother navigating this for the first time, Johnson faces significant stress and decision-making. Reliable transportation means getting her son to every appointment and staying connected to her support system. This refurbished vehicle from the NABC Recycled Rides program will provide stability, relief and peace of mind for Johnson and her son.

“Traveling in New York is a nightmare, and having this vehicle will be such a blessing and make things so much easier, especially with my son’s upcoming surgeries,” said Johnson. “I want to thank the NABC, Allstate, CARSTAR and all the other organizations that made this possible. I’m very appreciative.”

Partners

Additional partners in this presentation included: Milan Event; Triple J, NY Confidential Towing; Bill Bartending; Complete Mobile Automotive; Shamrock Sales; The Panda; J Fun Photography; Kings Nissan; Tire Pro; Advanced Remarketing Services; Copart; and Cars for Charity.

Allstate, a level one partner of the NABC, has donated more than 300 vehicles to people and organizations through the NABC Recycled Rides program, making it one of the largest vehicle donor partners of the program.

CARSTAR is part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands, a level one NABC member and is an I-CAR Gold network.

How to Support

Those in the community can support the program in two ways — donate to the program directly or donate their unwanted or non-running vehicle through the Changing and Saving Lives Keys for Change program. They will receive a tax donation for their contribution, and proceeds will help provide reliable transportation for those in need across the country — and in their community.

For more information on Recycled Rides, click here.