After spending years without wheels but with no shortage of errands, a Minneapolis veteran recently received a transformational gift.
Students at a Minnesota engineering school beautifully refurbished a 2020 Hyundai Elantra for the Recycled Rides for Schools program at the nonprofit National Auto Body Council.
US Navy veteran Robert Hanson hasn’t had his own car for over 2 years. He has suffered severe health problems since his separation from the military, where he flew as a Navy airman from 1993 to 1997.
Severe asthma and fibromyalgia issues make public transportation extremely difficult for Hanson, who received the Elantra at the Dunwoody College of Engineering in Minneapolis, after being referred to the Recycled Rides program by a Hennepin County welfare service.
There, students at the college’s Automotive Collision and Refinishing school got to see what all the body work they’d been doing over the past several months was actually for.
“I was so happy to see that he was happy to have literally a brand-new car, and we were able to be a part of that,” collision student Abbie Vera said.
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Indeed, Hanson described it as a “big-time game changer.”
“I’m just blown away and so thankful to everybody involved,” said Hanson. “Big-time game changer for me because I’ve been walking everywhere to get food. So now I can finally shop at more reasonable places and buy in bulk, and whatever you need a vehicle. I’ll be able to get out there and enjoy life again.”
The Elantra was donated by the NABC’s partner Allstate, which had recovered it after a pretty nasty collision that removed a not-insubstantial portion of its front end, images revealed.
WATCH the moment Hanson received his new car from CBS News…
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