Rodrigo Mina Siefer was honorably discharged from military service a year ago and is being treated for PTSD. His wife Crystal is also undergoing testing to diagnose and prepare a treatment for an illness.
To assist in transitioning back to civilian life, the family enrolled in the Transitions Projects program. Rodrigo was nominated by Transitions Projects to receive a Recycled Rides car.
GEICO donates vehicles to the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program to help people in need of support. Central Auto Body and its employees volunteered their time and labor to refurbish the vehicle to a like-new condition, and Enterprise provides a donation to Recycled Ride recipients.
The opportunity to receive a car will allow the Siefers to meet all of Crystal’s doctor appointments, get Rodrigo to work and potentially make him available for a full-time position. It will also allow the family to manage their schedules and take care of daily needs.
So, when the time came to unveil the surprise, the family couldn’t have been happier. There were also extra surprises of toys and games for their kids in the trunk.
“Their favorite thing is Paw Patrol so when we opened the trunk and saw Paw Patrol they were head over heels. There were clothes for school, we can’t thank everyone enough to thank everyone who came together who made this possible,” said Crystal Mina Siefer.
For more on the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project, go to caww2.org. For more local news, visit www.kptv.com