Toyota, including 429 dealerships, commits to creating equitable learning environments in underserved schools through Kids In Need Foundation’s Supply A Student program
Roseville, Minn. (July 19, 2023) – Kids In Need Foundation and Toyota kicked off the second-annual Big Summer Giveback program on Monday in Chandler, Ariz., as 400 students received new backpacks filled with supplies to start the school year, a donation made by local dealership Big Two Toyota (photos). In addition to a fundraising campaign in the service department for the month of August, 429 Toyota dealerships nationwide will support under-resourced schools through Kids In Need Foundation (KINF). Toyota will donate $3.00 to KINF for every paid oil change using either Genuine Toyota Motor Oil or Mobil 1 motor oil with a tire rotation, with a guaranteed minimum total donation of $500,000. See participating Service Center for details and restrictions. Toyota and Scion vehicles only.
Toyota is also promoting equity in education through an additional fundraiser during the month for customers who would like to contribute more, collecting donations at www.kinf.org/toyota.
“Toyota is pleased to announce our continued partnership with KINF for the second year of our Big Summer Giveback campaign,” said Mark Nazario, vice president, Guest Experience and Retention, Toyota Motor North America. “Together, we are committed to empowering students in under-resourced schools nationwide, ensuring every child receives an equal opportunity to thrive in their classrooms.”
KINF is the only national nonprofit that strategically focuses its efforts in schools in the nation’s most underserved communities, those with a student enrollment of 70 percent or more eligible to receive free or reduced meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). From Boston to Virginia to Los Angeles to Portland, tens of thousands of students will receive a new backpack full of essential school supplies through KINF’s Supply A Student program. Twenty-two dealerships have committed to $10,000 donations in their community, ensuring that local students will start the school year strong with new supplies.
Toyota launched its Big Summer Giveback in 2022, supporting over 32,000 students in 90+ schools.
“We are thrilled to partner with Toyota for the second-straight year on this initiative, knowing that so many students across the country will start the year with the supplies they need to learn,” said Corey Gordon, CEO of KINF. “Not only does this ease the burden on teachers to provide supplies in under-resourced schools, but it also generates greater awareness to the general public of the need for equitable learning environments in our underserved communities across the country.”
Toyota joins KINF in its belief that every child in America should have equal opportunity and access to a quality education. By partnering with teachers and students in under-resourced schools, KINF provides the support needed for teachers to teach and learners to learn. Promoting equity in schools is an invaluable social investment that gives children a deeper perspective, and knowledge about the world around them, and empowers them to make wise decisions for their future. When supplies are lacking, the quality of education is in jeopardy, and that affects future opportunities for children. Through the Big Summer Giveback, KINF and Toyota will provide supplies and learning tools to the most under-resourced schools in America, allowing schools, students, and teachers to thrive.
For more information about the KINF and its programs, please visit www.kinf.org.
About Kids In Need Foundation:
Kids In Need Foundation helps create equitable learning spaces through the distribution of supplies and resources, investing in teachers and students in underserved schools. With the belief that every child in America should have equal opportunity and resources to engage in a quality education, Kids In Need Foundation focuses its programs and initiatives on teachers and students most under-resourced, those where 70 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-cost meals through the National School Lunch Program. In 2022, through its programs, National Network of Resource Centers, and coast-to-coast local partners, Kids In Need Foundation and our national network supported over 7.7 million students and 333,169 teachers in 17,472 under-resourced schools, with KINF distributing more than $143 million in free school supplies and classroom resources nationwide at no cost to schools or teachers. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @KidsInNeed.
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 directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 32 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, a quarter of the company’s 2021 U.S. sales were electrified. 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 virtually 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.