A holiday boost: Toyota Material Handling, Cummins present donations to four area agencies

Smiles, laughter and good cheer filled the United Way Building Tuesday afternoon as Toyota Material Handling and Cummins presented checks to four Bartholomew County agencies, marking the seventh year of giving back to the community during the holiday season.

This year, the two manufacturers donated $5,000 each to Community Center of Hope, Family School Partners, Just Friends Adult Day Service and Su Casa Indiana.

Brett Wood, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America, and Jennifer Rumsey, chair and CEO of Cummins, invited representatives from each agency to talk about how they help the community.

“It’s one of the highlights for me of ending the year as a long-time resident of Columbus, Indiana, to be a part of this event and to be able to give to organizations that help make a difference in our community,” Rumsey said. “And in a world where increasingly, we’re focused on division and strife and conflict that we see growing around the world, I just think it’s great to come together and celebrate the amazing work that all four of the organizations… are doing to make Columbus a better place to live, to grow up and to be a part of.”

Community Center of Hope serves as an early learning center for children from 6 months to 5-years-old, in addition to offering a food pantry, according to board members Dan Fleming and Maddy Halloran. Fleming said the money is very much appreciated this year as one of their biggest sources of income, the Hope Heritage Days fundraiser, was impacted by weather due to the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

“We have three kind of major fundraisers because in our business, the margin is very, very thin and it’s in the news every day about child care and early learning facilities are expensive and it’s expensive for parents,” Fleming said. “So, every dollar that we can earn on our own is much appreciated and every dollar from folks like you is so much appreciated.”

Director of Family School Partners Karen Garcia Nunez said the agency was honored to have been a part of the event Tuesday. Since 1988, the agency has provided educational lessons for early childhood, tutoring children from birth to 5- years-old to help prepare them for kindergarten, as well as providing resources to parents. She said it is their passion to serve families, which they currently serve more than 160.

“… this gift is going to help us to provide more and better quality educational benefits for our families,” Nunez said.

Just Friends Adult Day Service works to let people stay in their homes longer and includes transportation, health care coordination and caregiver support groups, according to Executive Director Jayme Zobrist. She said it is because of donations and support that allow them to keep their rates as low as $10 to $20 an hour on a sliding fee scale.

“… especially Toyota and Cummins, they have supported us throughout the years through many events, many other things that happen in the community, and I am so thankful that you guys see and value a place that supports independence and the right we all have to live where we want, regardless of our life circumstance,” Zobrist said. “Your generosity rebuilds confidence, combats loneliness and tells the powerful message that you care and support all people.”

Su Casa Indiana works to increase self-sufficiency in education, health and economic independence and to ensure that all Latino families feel safe and that they belong in Bartholomew County, according to Executive Director Ashley Caceras. She said they have enjoyed working with Toyota Material Handling and Cummins, with the two manufacturers participating in their fundraising events, and their impact goes into their programs and into the county in great ways.

“Su Casa was actually founded in 1999 with volunteers focused on increasing access to English literacy, and I believe Cummins and Toyota representatives were a part of that founding,” Caceras said.

Following the presentation, Wood said he enjoyed hearing about each organization’s work and the impact they have on the local community, from babies to adults to senior citizens. He said it feels good to support multiple organizations that all do different things and help people from a wide variety of backgrounds, even those coming from another country.

“I’ve heard over the past that our donations actually sometimes double their budgets,” Wood said. “These are groups that don’t have very large budgets and for us it might not seem like that big of a dollar amount sometimes, but in the end, it really does make a difference for some of these groups.”