A Palm Coast family caring for foster children received a refurbished vehicle on December 16, 2025, providing critical transportation after the sudden death of a military veteran left his widow without a car or a steady income.
Kathy Panarella received a 2019 Lincoln MKX through the NABC Recycled Rides program, with the vehicle donated by Travelers Insurance Company and refurbished by Classic Collision technicians. The presentation took place at the Enterprise rental location in Palm Coast.
Panarella’s husband, Frank, a military veteran, passed away suddenly two months ago after coming inside from mowing the lawn. Kathy and the children were with him when it happened. During his military service, Frank suffered a serious back injury that required multiple surgeries.
The couple had been caring for two young relatives for the past seven years after the children were placed in a difficult situation. Following Frank’s unexpected death, the family faced devastating financial challenges. Frank’s income and Social Security benefits were never finalized. The family’s home is now in foreclosure, and their only vehicle was repossessed.
Kathy, who is disabled, works from home when possible but has been unable to work consistently or take the children to necessary appointments and activities without a vehicle. She had been relying on costly Uber rides to get by.
Seawolf Privateers, a local nonprofit organization that supports foster and displaced children, nominated Panarella for the vehicle donation.
Cayti Brinegar, co-founder of Seawolf Privateers, spoke about the presentation. “We are incredibly grateful to have been part of this blessing and to witness this amazing group of people come together for her and her children,” Brinegar said. “The moment that truly captured the heart of the day was watching the children’s excitement as they opened the trunk and discovered it filled with Christmas gifts. It was as if everyone who came together to make this possible was saying, ‘Frank, we appreciate all you sacrificed, and through this gift, we are helping care for your family.’ Seawolf Privateers will continue to walk alongside Kathy and the children, providing ongoing support and surrounding them with a community that cares deeply.”
The refurbished vehicle will allow Panarella to maintain employment and provide for the children, preventing another traumatic separation for the family.
Travelers, a level one member of the National Auto Body Council, has donated more than 85 vehicles to people and organizations in need through the Recycled Rides program. Classic Collision, founded in 1983 in Atlanta, operates more than 350 facilities nationwide.
Additional partners in the donation included AutoNation, UAGE, LKQ, Copart, Advanced Remarketing Services, and Cars for Charity.
Since the NABC Recycled Rides program began in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council have donated more than 3,500 vehicles valued at approximately $51 million to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation.
For more information about the National Auto Body Council, visit www.NationalAutoBodyCouncil.org.
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