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On Wednesday, April 20th, the Houston Area Urban League (HAUL), in partnership with the National Urban League, GEICO, Enterprise Rentals, and the National Auto Body Council, presented Ms. Erica Francis with a 2018 Honda Accord and $1,000 in gift cards as a part of the NABC Recycled Rides program.
Ms. Francis, a HAUL client, had recently experienced the loss of two cars within a matter of a week, her teenage daughter getting into a car accident totaling the car, followed by Ms. Francis being rear-ended just days later in her truck. All this occurred, leaving the single mother without reliable transportation for months and hoping for a miracle.
Rommell Williams, HAUL’s Workforce Development and Training Manager had worked with Ms. Francis for over ten years with various job placement resources, most recently inviting her to join an outreach initiative to help bring awareness to COVID-19 vaccines for those not yet vaccinated in the Greater Houston Area. When Ms. Francis shared her story about the recent car losses, Mr. Williams could think of no one more deserving of the offer that recently landed on his desk.
“I first worked with Erica when we were Downtown, providing job placement assistance. She is a single mother with a teenage daughter. We have kept in touch over the years, continuing to provide assistance and resources. She works in the healthcare industry and was one of the first clients I contacted for the HRSA Community Health Navigator positions. She works in the community and has helped people get vaccinated. She informed me that she was recently in a car accident, totaled her vehicle, and was currently in a rental and looking for a reliable cash car,” says Williams.
On Wednesday, the group met at the GEICO headquarters in Katy to present Ms. Francis with the car of her dreams. Thankful for not only the opportunity but encouraged to go on, she looks forward to how this transportation will help her to continue to succeed and provide for her family.
About the NABC Recycled Rides Program
The NABC Recycled Rides® Program has been a unique endeavor helping those in need with the gift of transportation since 2007, with over 2500 vehicles gifted to date. NABC members, including insurers, car rental companies, collision repairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors, and others, collaborate to repair and then donate vehicles to deserving individuals chosen by recognized nonprofit 501(c)(3) charities that provide service and work directly with at-risk families and individuals in local communities throughout the country.
About Houston Area Urban League
Since 1968, the Houston Area Urban League has advocated for and provides social services to disadvantaged people of all races, gender, age groups, and/or disabilities. HAUL operates the following six (6) programs targeting residents in economically disadvantaged geographic areas in the Greater Houston area: Education and Youth Development; Workforce and Economic Development; Workforce Training; Housing; Social Justice; and Health and Wellness Initiatives. These programs impact the lives of over 10,000 people each year. For more information please call 713-393-8700 or visit haul.org.
