Hauling Away Hunger

A convoy of more than 80 Toyota Tundras paraded through Philadelphia last December — hauling 450,000 pounds of food for the annual Toyota Tundra Food Drive. The parade and subsequent donation were the largest-ever of their kind to Philabundance, a Delaware Valley hunger relief organization.

The food was purchased with donations made by the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association, which is made up of 25 dealerships in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware — along with more than 30 of the dealers’ business partners.

“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,” says Paul Muller, president of the Tri-State Toyota Dealers Association. “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.”

The convoy of Tundras measured almost six football fields in length. Aside from donating more than 80 pallets of healthy food, the parade also raised awareness of the hunger in the community. In Philadelphia, one in five people are considered food insecure.

“While Philabundance serves 90,000 people each week, there are more than 700,000 children, seniors and working-class people who go to bed each night not knowing where their next meal is coming from — or if they’ll have one at all,” says Glenn Bergman, executive director of Philabundance. “We are grateful many people think of us during the holidays, but this is an ongoing issue and we need everyone involved year-round to help us end hunger in our communities for good.”