By VASHTI HARRIS
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — A local family got to witness the unveiling of their new car, courtesy of a few local organizations.
Branning Collision Centers in East Brunswick donated a newly refurbished Toyota RAV4 to Madeline Carlotti, her son Anthony and daughter Annabelle on Oct. 19 as part of the Recycled Rides program.
With the help of Theresa Donatiello Neidich, executive director for FISH Hospitality Program (FHP) — a nonprofit organization that is committed to serving homeless families and single women with children — Branning chose Carlotti, a single mother and client at FHP who lost her job and car due to medical issues.
When asked why she chose to recommend Carlotti and her family, Neidich said, “When Kim Branning [Branning’s chief operating officer] called me for a recommendation, I automatically thought of Madeline. She’s a hard worker and a good mother. Getting a Recycled Ride would make a big difference in her life.”
This is the third time in two years Branning has participated in the Recycled Rides program. The team at Branning Collision Centers donated their time to completely restore the vehicle and received parts and other donations from various suppliers and vendors. The vehicle was donated by Geico Insurance.
“We learned about the Recycled Rides program three years ago, and after getting in touch with them and learning more about their program we decided to participate. It’s something that we love to do because we are giving back to our own community,” Branning said.
The Recycled Rides program is run by the National Auto Body Council, a nonprofit organization that donates refurbished vehicles to local, economically disadvantaged families with the help of insurance companies, car rental companies, collision repairers, paint suppliers, parts vendors and others in the industry.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].