Progressive Insurance gave vehicles this week to two Colorado Springs veterans: Navy veteran Skip Dion and Air Force veteran Autumn Thomas. Both are artists, and the handoff came just before Veterans Day.
In its KRDO report, Dion described the vehicle as truly life-changing, while Thomas said it gave her a new start.
Art as a Path Through PTSD
KRDO reported that both veterans use art as a resource while coping with PTSD. Thomas said: “I recommend anyone, if they can get their hands on art tools to use it for healing, 100%.”
Thomas told KRDO that her Air Force service influenced her art and taught her discipline. She also described trying different mediums before finding one that suits her.
Finding Shape in Found Wood
KRDO reported that Dion makes walking sticks from wood he finds on the ground and finds the work therapeutic, helping him find serenity.
The KRDO report said both veterans hope their creative work can bring joy and help others.
A Nationwide Giveaway Rolling Through 25 States
The Colorado Springs handoff is part of something much bigger. Progressive announced on Tuesday that its 14th annual Keys to Progress program is providing vehicles to more than 100 veterans, military families, veteran-serving organizations and veteran-owned small businesses across the country, according to a release carried by PR Newswire. This year's rollout includes more than 65 events from coast to coast, with Enterprise Rent-A-Car providing six months of auto insurance coverage to each recipient.
According to CollisionWeek, the 2026 giveaway spans host cities across 25 states, underscoring just how wide the program's reach has grown. Progressive purchases recent-model used vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car specifically to give away through the program, as reported by PIX11.
How big has Keys to Progress gotten since it launched in 2013? The figures depend on which metric you use. Progressive's program page says the effort has supported more than 1,200 veteran recipients from five branches of the military, while this year's announcement puts the broader tally at more than 1,300 vehicles awarded nationwide since the program began — two different counts measuring different things, by Progressive's own account.
Transportation to VA Appointments
For veterans who cannot drive to medical appointments, the Garden of the Gods VA Clinic works with Disabled American Veterans and county Veterans Affairs directors to arrange transportation for veterans and authorized caregivers traveling to scheduled appointments, according to VA Eastern Colorado Health Care. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs says veterans enrolled in VA health care can request free rides to and from VA health appointments by contacting a Veterans Transportation Program representative or using the online VetRide service.
For Dion and Thomas, the national totals are less immediate than receiving vehicles just before Veterans Day.
