Sponsor Spotlight: G&C Autobody
Giving back to your hometown is a unique experience, one that G&C Autobody CEO and co-owner Shawn Crozat appreciates deeply. “Santa Rosa is our home, born and raised, and it’s where our business started. While we now operate multiple locations, everything we do philanthropically is in Sonoma County because this is our home.”
Family and business are closely intertwined for the Crozat’s; Shawn and his three siblings work together to operate the company founded fifty years ago by their late father, Gene Crozat. In addition to opening the business, Gene also channeled a passion for uplifting his community by developing the Crozat Family Foundation. This foundation works with insurance companies to refurbish donated cars and give them away to individuals or families in need. Over the last ten years, the Crozat Family Foundation has given away 210 cars to families in need.
“To not have a car in Sonoma County isn’t easy,” says Shawn. “Last year, we gave away 27 cars. This year, 24. I love that it’s helping people.”
These cars are life-changing resources for the recipients, and a shining example of how one caring decision can cause a positive chain reaction for an individual. Shawn’s involvement in SAY is another such example. Four years ago, he was invited to tour the SAY Finley Dream Center by one of our Board Members, and the scope of SAY’s work impressed him. Learning the details about youth homelessness in Sonoma County made a lasting impact on Shawn.
“I can’t imagine how scary it would be for these young kids to be homeless,” says Shawn. “The mental stress of not knowing where you will be, if you will be able to get food, trying to compete for a job and trying to focus in school. I don’t see how that is possible if you don’t have a secure place to live.”
Thinking about his own family compels Shawn to care more deeply about philanthropy. “We love our family, we love our community, and we love our kids. So what a great investment: our community’s kids.”
G&C Auto Body is proud to be a co-presenting sponsor of SAY’s Big Event: Diamonds & Denim.