SAN ANGELO, Texas — Jason Stellmacher, father of three, joined more than 45 veterans and their families across the country who received a vehicle on the same day from Progressive, with the help of Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
Stellmacher served as a combat engineer in Afghanistan in 2014. His job included clearing roads and ensuring explosives were safely detained. He now serves with the National Guard Armory in San Angelo.
“I was given the opportunity to apply for the program but wasn’t sure if I’d be chosen. At first when they called I assumed the call was a scam and hung up on them. After they kept calling and ensuring it was actually real, I was shocked,” Stellmacher explained.
Since 2013, Progressive has worked with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to deliver high-quality, late-model used vehicles to veterans across the United States as well as other Texas towns such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
“Enterprise has a rich military heritage and we employ over 10,000 veterans and reservice. This is the least we can do to give back to our military community for all they’ve given us,” San Angelo Enterprise’s Area rental manager Timothy Foster said.
Last November, Stellmacher was involved in a collision where a deer jumped in front of his car, totaling it. He then purchased another vehicle, but it had maintenance issues he could not keep up with.
Now, he and his family get to travel around wherever they need. Still, he plans to pay forward and continue to serve the community.
“Thanks to this new car, we don’t have to wait for anyone to take us anywhere and it feels really awesome. I am so grateful for this and it will be a big help for my family,” he said.
The overall goal of giving veterans a new set of keys is to show gratitude to veterans who have sacrificed their lives to protect others. These vehicles will provide Stellmacher and his family reliable transportation allowing them to get back on the road and move forward in life.