Pep Boys, one of the nation’s leading automotive service networks, has once again joined in Progressive’s Keys to Progress initiative in its donation of vehicles
to 50 veterans and veteran organizations. This year marks Pep Boys’ 100th year in business and fourth consecutive year as a Progressive Keys to Progress affiliate. Pep Boys contributed a free maintenance package for each donated vehicle in 2021, including higher value packages for vehicles that will serve multiple veterans through community-based organizations. Pep Boys announced its increased investment in Keys to Progress just days after CEO Brian Kaner presented a $100,000 centennial celebration check to the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which works with leading nonprofits, corporations, the military and the government to find, fund and shape programs to meet the emerging and long-term needs of veterans and their families.
“At Pep Boys, we’re committed to helping people move forward and it’s our privilege to once again support deserving veterans through Progressive’s Keys to Progress program,” said CEO Brian Kaner. “As we’ve traveled across the U.S. this year celebrating Pep Boys’ centennial, I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand the positive impact a supportive transition can have on the lives of the veterans in our service network and those training in the skilled trades.”
Veterans receiving vehicles through this year’s Keys to Progress initiative included a single mother in Indiana who lacked a reliable car to transport her daughter to and from school; a Navy veteran in North Carolina who needed a vehicle that could accommodate his wheelchair; a former combat medic in Florida who has had to ask for rides from others to complete daily tasks, including volunteering for local non-profit organizations; and a Marine combat veteran in Colorado who needed a car to visit local medical facilities where he receives treatment for combat-related injuries, PTSD and depression.
In addition to passenger vehicles donated to each of 45 veterans, Progressive awarded light-duty trucks or 15-passenger vans to several community-based organizations, including Creativets, Nashville, Tenn., which empowers wounded vets to heal through the arts and music; Operation Shockwave, Chandler, Ariz., offering suicide prevention counseling; and The Soil Foundation, Fayetteville, N.C., which provides opportunities for vets and others to “unplug, regroup and heal.”
More than 750 veterans and veteran organizations have received vehicles through the Progressive initiative since 2013. Other program affiliates include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Veracity Research Co. Investigations; IAA; The Original 1-800-Charity Cars; and a variety of local charities.
Pep Boys also supports veterans through workforce development initiatives, skills training and career path support, and offers an everyday discount* on automotive services to all active, reserve and retired members of the military.
To learn more about Progressive’s Keys to Progress, including the vehicle application process, visit KeysToProgress.com.
* Restrictions apply; visit www.pepboys.com/keys-to-progress for details.
