Communities in Southern California and greater Huntsville, Alabama area will be receiving further support with Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc.’s $450,000 total grants awarded to four organizations as part of its yearly grant-giving.
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County in Irvine, California which distributes food to more than 400 local member charities; Food Bank of North Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama; AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Center which trains educators to close the opportunity gap so they can prepare students for careers and life; and FUSE Studio which serves underserved middle schools are the grant recipients.
Jeff Guyton, President of Mazda North American Operations and chairman of the Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. said that the awards will address challenges being faced by too many Americans.
“Those challenges range from basic food security to equal access to the building blocks of education,” Guyton added.
These fundamentals are needed by everyone in order to thrive.
Since March 2020, most parts of the world was put under pandemic restrictions. Demand for food has then skyrocketed with an estimated increase of +60%. With the grants given to food banks, the delivery of food to families in need is set to increase.
The award to AVID will be used to ensure that underserved students have the opportunity not only to be admitted to college but to succeed once they arrive. FUSE will be utilizing the grant to fund STEM coursework for several underserved middle schools.
The guiding principle of Mazda Foundation continues to be: what matters most is one another.
With the giving of additional support to institutions that conduct programs that make a difference, Mazda aims to address not just the result of poverty but also its causes.
Mazda Foundation also contributes funds to support projects in maintaining a clean environment, reserve historic landmarks, foster youth literacy, and enhance cross-cultural understanding. It has donated more than $31 million to several organizations since 1992.
