Two Oahu veterans drove away with keys to recent-model used vehicles Tuesday morning after Progressive Insurance surprised them with free vehicles at a ceremony in Kapolei, just days before Veterans Day. Army veteran William A. Noh, who is currently living in transitional housing after experiencing homelessness, and Alexa N. Holloway, who served in the Army National Guard from 2013 to 2014, were the two recipients.
The giveaway took place at 11 a.m. Tuesday at U.S. VETS in Kapolei, according to Hawaii News Now, which reported that Progressive presented the vehicles to Noh and Holloway during its 14th annual Keys to Progress giveaway event. The outlet reported that Noh relies on public transportation to get around, while Holloway has been leaning on rideshare services to handle her daily errands and responsibilities.
What the Vehicles Could Mean for Each Veteran
For Noh, the hope is that having his own vehicle will open doors that have been hard to reach without reliable transportation. The station's report states that he hopes a vehicle will help him attend job interviews, medical appointments, and ultimately secure stable employment after a period of homelessness.
Holloway, meanwhile, framed the gift in terms of getting her life back on a steady track. She said reliable transportation would help her return to work and continue volunteering in her community, per the same report.
A Nationwide Push Rooted in Hawaii
The Kapolei ceremony was one stop in a much larger national effort. Progressive announced its 14th annual Keys to Progress vehicle giveaway this week, with the company stating through Progressive via PR Newswire that it was providing vehicles to over 100 veterans and military families this year through more than 65 events held coast to coast. Hawaii News Now separately reported that more than 100 veterans nationwide were expected to receive vehicles through this year's program, though a snippet from the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs described the expected total as approximately 100 vehicles — a minor discrepancy in how the figure has been characterized across sources.
Progressive says on its website that it purchases recent-model used vehicles from Enterprise Rent-A-Car to give away, and that the program is designed to help veterans facing difficult circumstances, whether that means finding employment or simply getting to medical appointments, according to Progressive. The company notes that the Keys to Progress program typically distributes vehicles once a year in November, and that the application window for 2026 has already closed.
More Than a Decade of Giveaways
Since the program launched in 2013, Progressive says it has awarded more than 1,300 vehicles to veterans and their families across the country. Similar handoffs have played out elsewhere this fall: in Oklahoma City, Marine veteran Nicholas “Nich” Jacob was handed the keys to a gently used 2024 Ford Edge through the same 14th annual Keys to Progress giveaway, according to Yahoo News. Jacob, who served as a Marine for five years, had been relying on walking, an electric bike, or rides from others to get to VA appointments, school, and his electronics repair business before Progressive covered his registration, tag, and six months of insurance.
Progressive's 2025 program followed a similar pattern, with the company donating 100 vehicles to veterans, their families, veteran-focused organizations, and veteran-owned small businesses through more than 65 events across 47 states, according to Progressive MediaRoom. That release also noted that Enterprise Rent-A-Car provided each 2025 recipient with six months of auto insurance coverage, with policies written by Progressive — the same kind of support that is now helping two Oahu veterans look toward a more stable road ahead.
