The Mazda foundation is expanding past simply providing high quality vehicles. This year alone, the foundation distributed $495,000 across 11 organizations via its annual grant giving process. According to Tamara Mlynarczyk, president and public affairs manager of the Mazda Foundation, “We hope that we can play a small role in helping people across the country reach their full potential and find financial security,” as the foundation is seeking to expand its role in securing employment for Americans amidst a rapidly evolving economy and lots of uncertainty.
This year, the Mazda Foundation sought to use its fund money to award underserved young adults in high school and up the opportunity to pursue a STEM education or job in the STEM field. The funding ranges from a Garden Grove, California culinary training program at Bracken’s Kitchen, all the way to an automotive technician training program by Vehicles for Change, which is catered to formerly incarcerated individuals in Halethorpe, MD. Another notable funding program Mazda has invested in is the Robotics Competition and Education Foundation, which will bring their program to Huntsville, AL, and offers a factory automation competition for high school and community college students. There is even an opportunity offered by College Track L.A. to partake in a holistic educational and job mentoring program in Los Angeles.
Across the country Americans struggle to simply get by due to accessibility issues when it comes to education and other vital resources that can lead to employment. With these grants, the Mazda Foundation is seeking to make its impact, aiming “right at the heart of the cycle of poverty,” according to Mlynarczyk.
The Mazda Foundation will even be awarding grants to food banks across the country. This list includes the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, the Food Bank of North Alabama, as well as five food banks across Texas, Illinois, and New Jersey.
This feat is one that comes from a history of charitable donations. The Mazda Foundation has donated over $14.8 million across its initiatives, including children’s organizations, food banks, environmental programs, educational scholarships, and disaster relief efforts. These donations have been prevalent in the Mazda Foundation’s culture, dating all the way back to 1992. As the brand continues to build partnerships with organizations that address food insecurity and lack of equitable access to education and job opportunities, the Mazda brand is one we can trust to do what is right and use its resources to serve its customers beyond the simple sale of a vehicle.
