20 Years of Giving and the RABF Still Needs Your Help!

While the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund tries to raise funds year-round, the parts of the year when industry events are scheduled, are generally our best opportunities. This year the two biggest opportunities for fundraising coincided on the same week at the North American Repossessors Summit (NARS), hosted by the American Recovery Association in Denver, Colorado and at REPO2022 hosted by Recovery Specialist Insurance Group and Allied Finance Adjusters in Orlando, FL.

The RABF would like to thank the attendees of NARS, who collectively through the ARA donated $1,000.00 to the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund. As published in CU Collector May 31, 2022 – “All profits from the 2022 NARS Golf Tournament (Sponsored by MVTrac) will go to RABF and Repo Alliance to benefit the industry”. The RABF appreciates all who participated in this event making that donation possible!

Pictured here – One of, if not, the best auctioneers the RABF could have, Mr. George Badeen of Midwest Rec & Adj/Midwest Auto Auctions.

The RABF would also like to thank the attendees of REPO2022 who through an annual live auction, and $500 club call out raised over $22,000.00. Many stunning Hawaiian, Jade and Tahitian pearl jewelry pieces were donated by the Kalili family of BB Towing Asset Recovery LLC, Allied members from Hawaii, sports memorabilia that brought in more than $1500 for the RABF was donated by exhibitor, Martin Giles of Atlanta Wrecker Sales, race weekend packages at Bristol Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway were donated by Anthony Gentile of Dynamic.

REPO2022 attendees perusing items before the start of the live auction to benefit the RABF

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who donated items for the auction (those mentioned above and Miller Industries, Beth Cummings, The Loan Family, the Marcum family, Midwest Auto Auction, The Howk family, Lisa Hancock of ALSCO of Tulsa, Detroit Wrecker Sales, Michele Stuart of JAG Inv, Kevin Armstrong, The Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate & Barrett Gabaldon) and especially extend our thanks and gratitude to everyone who bid on the items or joined the $500 club.

You can plan on participating in next year’s auction and $500 club call out at REPO2023 June 20-23! (We would also like to acknowledge and thank George Badeen, Sheryll Newton, Christy Badeen, Haylie Marcum, and Beth Cummings for their help in being the night’s auctioneer, staging the auction, helping to show auction items, tracking/recording bids and processing bid payments. Without them, this auction wouldn’t have been possible!)

We also want to thank Credit Acceptance Corporation for their continued support of the RABF. Each year they have done an in-house or online fundraiser where their employees participate in different, unique initiatives and they have donated thousands of dollars to the Recovery Agents Benefit Fund over the years.

The RABF would also like to again recognize the American Recovery Service/PK Willis organization in California. Years ago they started supporting the fund with an annual donation – and shortly after that first annual donation, they began donating monthly to the RABF and they haven’t missed a month, donating in total over $25,000 in support of this industry so far!

The Grosvenors from Speedy Recovery Services with the autographed #33 Boston Celtics Larry Bird jersey donated by Martin Giles of Atlanta Wrecker Sales

Often when the RABF is called upon, there are usually two things we hear at the start of the conversation… If it is a family member of the injured or deceased, we hear “I’ve never heard of the RABF”. If it is a person from the repossession company who the injured or deceased worked for, we often hear “I’ve always supported/donated to the RABF”. Sometimes/many times we know that isn’t always the case, but sometimes when the RABF has helped a family, the company the induvial works/worked for does step up. Final Notice Recovery/Metro Investigations has unfortunately called upon the RABF several times and they set up monthly contributions to give back and pay it forward.

Because of the support of this industry, the RABF has been able to disburse over $664,000 to repossession industry families. Our first distribution was made Dec 18, 2002 to a widow who needed assistance with funeral expenses after her husband died in an accident involving the repossession of a motorcycle. In the early days of the RABF, we received a handful of requests (2-3) for assistance each year – now we can easily see that tripled or quadrupled in a single year (9-12). This is why these in person events and fundraising efforts like the Dynamic Slide-In Raffle ticket sales are so crucial to the RABF.

What the RABF really needs, are more annual and recurring monthly donors. Giving to the RABF should be as important as payroll, rent/mortgage payments, truck and insurance payments. That sort of commitment to support the RABF is what will keep us being able to give back when individuals in this industry

Chad Boatman of Times Up Recovery with a vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle collectible and an engraved bottle of a lil’ something special!

need it most!

We know that times have been tough for this industry, so to see the industry step up to help its own is a testament to the professionalism and respect that runs deep in this community. How will you help commemorate the RABF’s 20^th year of helping?

You can go online and make a one-time donation or set up regular monthly donations http://www.recoveryagentsbenefitfund.org/donation.asp! You can mail a check to PO Box 4102, Manassas, VA 20108. (Donating online is great and convenient and we will happily accept those donations, but when you mail your check to the RABF or email the front and back of your check to donations@recoveryagentsbenefitfund.org, the RABF is able to receive your entire donation amount with no processing or merchant fees taken out by the merchant service provider/credit card processor).