(Photo Credit: Stills By Stinson)
Alva Adams Mason, executive group manager, Multicultural Business Alliance and Strategy; and Multicultural Dealer Development, Toyota Motor North America, said, “Many people know Toyota as a car company, but we’re so much more than that. We are passionate about serving in the communities where we live and work. Conner Creek which is a longtime staple in the community serves as a haven for kids and adults alike. With so many people in need due to the recent pandemic crises, it’s a major reason why Toyota continues to do whatever we can to ensure Detroiters are getting the help they need.”
The Connor Creek Corps Community Center offers a place of respite, refuge, peace and prayer for the entire community. Of the neighborhoods that Conner Creek serves, 70 percent of family households are headed by single mothers, nearly 43 percent of residents live at the poverty level and 34 percent of all properties are either blighted or vacant. “We are grateful to Toyota for their deep and longtime commitment of time, talent and resources to Metro Detroit and the Conner Creek community through the Walk In My Boots program and many other initiatives,” said Lt. Henry Boateng, The Salvation Army Conner Creek Corps & Community Center Officer. “The Conner Creek Corps Community Center plays a major role in a lot of people’s live on Detroit’s eastside. However, our current program space will not be sufficient for much longer. We are blessed to have support from good corporate citizens who are ‘Doing the Most Good’ to improve the quality of life for eastside residents and allow Conner Creek to truly become a special gathering place for the community.”
It was a great afternoon as Toyota brought a ray of sunshine and warmth to the families. Toyota also donated an additional $15,000 to The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division enabling them to continue to support the community. Due to COVID restrictions, the families were treated to a hot boxed lunch catered by Jackson’s Five Star Catering. Through this program, in Detroit alone, Toyota has donated over 2,000 pairs of winter boots and socks to families in need and contributed more than $140,000 to the TSA Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division. The project has also been held in Chicago, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Harrisburg, PA. And, new this year Toyota is expanding the program to Minneapolis, MN supporting the George Floyd community.
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About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships. Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 36,000 in the U.S. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 30 million cars and trucks at our 9 manufacturing plants, 10 including our joint venture in Alabama that is scheduled to begin production in 2021.
To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About The Salvation Army
Founded by William and Catherine Booth in London, England in 1865, The Salvation Army is a faith-based, non-profit organization dedicated to serving people in need without discrimination. This past year, The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit was involved in providing 2,446,588 meals and 382,681 nights of shelter for the homeless. The Salvation Army uses $.86 of every dollar raised to provide direct services to people in need each and every day of the year. For more information about The Salvation Army, please call 877-SAL-MICH, or visit us at salmich.org.
