Baby dolls, toy trucks, play sets and canned goods were piled high in all 15 collection bins this year for the 2014 HMA Toy and Food Drive. Altogether, associates donated 3,369 items for the annual HMA holiday collection.
“The Christmas spirit of giving is alive and well this holiday season at Honda,” Pope said. “It is always wonderful to see our associates come together, set the goal to provide a holiday full of food and gifts for families in need and really make it happen. All of these items will really make the holidays brighter for so many.”
Over just a two-week period, Honda associates brought in armfuls of games, action figures, bicycles and food items to be distributed to non-profit agencies in Honda’s five surrounding counties – Talladega, Calhoun, Etowah, St. Clair and Jefferson.
Associate volunteers and collection leaders for many departments helped to sort, count and prepare the items for delivery as soon as the drive ended. AE associate Maurice Harwood helps with donations each year and reminds associates about the importance of giving.
“We have to remember that they are people out there who need help and if every associate would set aside just $2.50 a week, that’s $130 per person at the end of the year that they can give to help kids at Christmas,” Harwood said.
Associates again had a chance to nominate names of organizations where they would like to see the donations go. A total of nine agencies were each able to receive a generous amount of items from the associates’ large collection.
The Salvation Army and Piedmont Benevolence in Calhoun County; Catholic Center Concern and Etowah Baptist Mission in Etowah County; Lincoln Fire and Police, Lincoln Food Pantry and F.I.R.S.T. Family Services in Talladega County; The Christian Love Pantry in St. Clair County; and Altheia House in Jefferson County were all able to receive toys and food thanks to the generous donations.
“I like to see other people happy, to help others and I like to give,” said Shakita Calhoun, AF2. “We work in this community and it’s important to give back and help people who need it.”