Ten local Navy sailors and an Air Force airman are sporting new cars thanks to a donation event sponsored by insurer USAA and Caliber Collision.
The recipients were nominated by Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads to receive newly refurbished vehicles restored by Caliber to give to active-duty service members and military veterans in need of reliable transportation across the country.
USAA, in partnership with NABC Recycled Rides, provided the vehicles to Caliber, which then restored them.
Caliber previously has awarded vehicles in San Antonio and Nashville, and will present the remaining cars to recipients in California, North Carolina, Arizona and Texas.
Since 2012, Caliber and its industry partners have donated over 500 vehicles, mostly to military service members and veterans, the company said in a news release.
The recipients of the car donations include:
Warren Alexander, an active duty service member with the Navy, received a 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage. Alexander lives in Portsmouth, 20 miles from his assigned duty station in Norfolk. Without a car, he relied on rides to work from fellow sailors or expensive transportation services such as Uber and Lyft. In addition, he provides financial support and makes frequent trips to North Carolina to help care for his mother who suffers from an autoimmune disorder.
Trystyn Jordan, an active-duty service member with the Navy, received a 2016 Ford Fusion.
Trystyn and his wife were just recently granted custody of his 15-year-old sister, making reliable transportation even more critical. Their vehicle was nearly 20 years old, and no longer reliable or safe. Its failures have caused near accidents, left the family stranded on many occasions and forced the family to cancel critical medical appointments.
Desmond Trotty-Parks, an active duty service member in the Navy, received a 2018 Toyota Highlander. A large reliable vehicle is a must for Desmond’s family household which is rapidly expanding. He and his fiancé have two daughters, ages 3 and 2, and a brand new baby. In addition, his fiancé’s mother will be coming to live with them to help take care of the children. The vehicle is critical for the many doctors’ visits, grocery runs and other needs of a growing family.
Ryan Seder, current service member with the Navy, received a 2020 Toyota Corolla.
Ryan and Sadie Sedar currently share a house with a fellow sailor. Ryan is able to carpool to work with his roommate since both work at the same base. Without a car, it is difficult for Sadie to schedule and make it to job interview appointments in order to supplement their income. The car also enables Sadie to more frequently visit her father who has terminal cancer.
Jacob Chesney, a Navy service member, received a 2018 Honda Civic.
Jacob and his fiancé are the proud new parents of a 3-month baby boy. Jacob is excited and committed to being the best father possible and providing for his family. Having a car of their own enables him to take his fiancé and baby to doctors’ visits, attend to other household needs and make visits to family and friends with their new little baby.
Jeremy Morton, current Air Force service member,received a 2016 Acura MDX. Jeremy and Maria Morton share one vehicle which is incredibly challenging for a family of five including an 18-month-old son and two daughters ages 9 and 11. Two of the children have severe allergies and require weekly doctor visits for shots. In critical times, Jeremy bicycled to work when Maria used the car. Most of the time Maria relied on friends for transportation or walked.
Tonya Poole, a Navy service member, received a 2021 GMC Terrain. It was difficult enough for Tonya and her husband to juggle the needs of four children, ages 9, 6, 4 and newborn while sharing one vehicle. Then, a few months ago, their only vehicle was totaled in an accident.
Anthony Walker, a Navy service member, received a 2018 Ford Taurus. Anthony Walker is a single parent with full custody of his 2-year-old son. In addition to his job with the Navy, he works part-time as a barber and is taking a course to pursue his VA health and insurance license. A car of his own will eliminate expensive rideshare transportation costs, allowing him to save money as he works to build a brighter future for himself and his son.
Lakeba Williams, a Navy service member, received a 2020 Nissan Rogue. A second vehicle is an absolute necessity for Lakeba Williams’ large family with four children, ages 6, 10, 11 and 19. Two of the younger children have special needs that require frequent visits to a large team of doctors for ongoing treatment and therapy. Specialty medical care sometimes involves overnight trips and stays in Washington D.C.. A second vehicle is critical to ensure the family can provide the children with the best possible medical care as well as greatly improve their quality of life.
Carlos Seamanduras, a Navy service member, received a 2019 Toyota Corolla. Carlos Seamanduras is currently deployed. Upon his return, a newly refurbished vehicle will be waiting to allow him to perform all the daily tasks many take for granted. As his previous vehicle overheated and no longer runs, this new-to-him reliable vehicle will be a wonderful welcome-back-home gift to help ease his transportation needs.
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