Trocaire Nursing Student Receives Refurbished Car Through Recycled Rides® Program

Just in time for the first week of the spring semester, Jasmaine West, a Trocaire College nursing student, has received a refurbished car thanks to the generosity of Travelers and the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides^® program. Through this collaboration, businesses representing all facets of the collision industry – insurers, auto repair shops, paint suppliers, parts vendors and others – partner to refurbish and donate vehicles to individuals and service organizations in need.

On Wednesday, West received the keys to her 2014 Buick Verano, newly restored by Gerber Collision located in Tonawanda.

Receiving this vehicle will mean stability with traveling back and forth to school and work, in addition to being able to provide for my family,” said West. “It’s good to know that working hard and being able to beat the odds can be noticed, and I am extremely grateful!

Derrick Gunter, coordinator of Trocaire’s Pathways to Nursing Success program, was made aware of Recycled Rides last year. He soon nominated West, who graduated from Trocaire in 2020 with her associate’s degree in nursing and is now earning her bachelor’s degree while working as an LPN at Mount St. Mary’s Hospital.

A mother of three and caregiver for her own mother, West commutes from her home in Niagara Falls to Trocaire’s South Buffalo campus several times a week for her classes, program requirements and to serve as a mentor for other nursing students. In addition, she is a leading member of the Infinity Club, a student club that strives to increase diversity in the healthcare field, and volunteers in the community when she can, such as her time at Schiller Park Senior Citizen Center.

Jasmaine has been part of the Trocaire family since 2017 and is a motivated and honorable scholar who seeks to have an impact on the healthcare field,” said Gunter. “Like so many of our students, she is doing an excellent job with continually balancing her academic, professional and family obligations – which will now be a little easier to manage thanks to the generosity of Travelers and the Recycled Rides program.

Through Recycled Rides, more than 2,500 vehicles valued at $36 million have been donated in communities across the country since 2007.

For more than a decade, our team has participated in the Recycled Rides program and worked with the National Auto Body Council and local auto body shops to help people in need,” said Nick Seminara, executive vice president and chief claim officer at Travelers. “We’re dedicated to supporting our communities, and we’re pleased to be able to provide Jasmaine and her family with a safe and reliable vehicle.

For more information on Recycled Rides, visit its website.