Toyota makes big food donation to Philabundance

Photos: from Anthony Bezich (Five Story Media)

The Toyota Tundra Food Drive delivered more than half a million pounds of food to Philabundance to feed local families in the Philadelphia region.

The annual drive included 25 local Toyota dealers along with more than two dozen of their business partners. More than 85 Toyota Tundras hauled food donations to Citizens Bank Park in South Philadelphia on Feb. 3 as part of the 14th edition of the drive.

“It’s just unconscionable to think that so many people in our communities are in need of food, and Philabundance is a major lifeline to those who are food-insecure in our communities,” said the president of the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association, Paul Muller. “There are a lot of things people should be, and ‘hungry’ is just not one of them. That’s what makes it so important for us to stay involved to help drive hunger away from every table in our local communities.” 

Philabundance, which is based in South Philadelphia, is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Philadelphia region, serving communities across the nine counties in Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.

“While Philabundance serves over 135,000 people each week, there are more than 500,000 people, including children and seniors, who go to bed each night not knowing where their next meal is coming from – or if they’ll have one at all,” said Loree Jones Brown, CEO of Philabundance.

The food was purchased by Philabundance through donations collected over the last two years from Toyota and the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association. 

“On behalf of Toyota and all 25 Tri-State Toyota Dealers across the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys, and with the tremendous support of our local business partners in the Philadelphia media and professional sports communities, we are all very proud to provide Philabundance with yet another record-level food donation this year,” said Muller.

The total donation came in at 654,000 pounds of food, which is a 45-percent increase from the last time the initiative was held pre-pandemic in December 2019. It will provide 436,000 nourishing meals to those in need in the community.

“Thanks to the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association and all of their business partners involved in this campaign, Philabundance will be able to provide food to those in need now and into 2023,” Jones said. “These donations are needed now more than ever as many families struggle to put food on the table due to the increased cost of food. This total donation for over 325 tons of food will provide much-needed relief for our neighbors in need for less than one week.”

The convoy of trucks traveled 7 miles from Philabundance’s North Philadelphia warehouse down Columbus Boulevard to Citizens Bank Park, where it was met by groups of supporters, local sports icons, mascots and cheer teams.

“Toyota continues to be a driving force in the community, especially when it comes to helping feed hungry families in need,” said Jackie Cuddeback, Phillies Senior Vice President of Partnership Sales & Corporate Marketing. “Combating food insecurity is an equally important issue to the Phillies, and we are honored to once again join Toyota as they ‘haul away hunger’ with 650,000 pounds of food delivered for Philabundance during this tremendously important event.”