Businesses come together to help Valley Cities’ homeless disabled veterans

Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation recently received a wheelchair accessible van for its clients, thanks to a generous, coordinated effort of others.

Valley Cities Counseling and Consultation recently received a wheelchair accessible van for its clients, thanks to the generous, coordinated effort of others.

Mark Lovell, Washington’s Precision Collision Auto Body marketing director, worked tirelessly over the past year to find a repairable van for Valley Cities’s homeless veterans supportive housing program at Valley Cities Landing in Auburn.

He found one.

“For a while, I didn’t think it would actually happen,” Lovell said, “but it has, thanks to Geico Insurance who donated the vehicle. Allstate Insurance Roadside Services donated the towing of the van from California to Washington, and LKQ/Keystone and PPG Industries donated all of the paint materials and replacement parts.”

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Absolute Mobility of Woodinville, Valet Detail, and Goodyear Auto Service Center also contributed to the van’s restoration.

“It’s been amazing. It takes a whole lot of people to make this happen,” said Pam Taylor, development director at Valley Cities Counseling & Consultation, who was on hand for the van’s official delivery on Jan. 31.

According to Lovell, it is the first wheelchair van nationally that has been donated through the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides Program, which has been going on for seven years since its launch after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“This van means that our disabled residents and veterans will be able to get to their doctor’s appointments, go grocery shopping and maybe even go to a movie as they work on their recovery and stability,” said Trent Allen, Valley Cities Landing program manager.

T’s Auto Repair of Auburn generously donated its expertise to fully rehab the motor and provide a tune-up and oil change. Industry Graphics donated signage for the vehicle.

The wheelchair accessible van also will be available to Valley Cities’ disabled clients as an important tool in their recovery and wellness process.

“This van will have a positive impact on many, many people – children and adults alike and we (Valley Cities) could never have afforded a van like this without the NABC Recycled Rides Program,” said Ken Taylor, Valley Cities CEO.

Valley Cities Landing is a 24-unit permanent supportive housing program with 12 units dedicated for homeless veterans. It has 15 veterans as residents with four wheelchair assessable apartments.

Valley Cities is a community mental health center annually serving more than 7,000 adults, children, youth, families and veterans. Established by the people of South King County in 1965, it operates comprehensive outpatient clinics in Auburn, Federal Way, Kent and Renton.

Precision Collision Auto Body is a member of the National Auto Body Council (NABC) participating in the national Recycled Rides program. The program takes “salvaged” or “total loss” vehicles from local insurance companies and completely renovates them to be donated to needy individuals or charities.

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INFORMATIONAL LINKS:

www.valleycities.org

www.precisioncollisionautobody.com

www.recycledrides.org