Mike Wolanin | The Republic Alicia Monroe, center, United Way of Bartholomew County Volunteer Action Center director, smiles as she poses for a photo with Brett Merritt, left, president of engine business for Cummins, and Brett Wood, right, president and CEO of Toyota Material Handling North America, during the annual Cummins and Toyota Material Handling North America Holiday Give Back Event at the United Way of Bartholomew headquarters in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. The Student Support Line received a combined $5,000 from Cummins and Toyota. Both companies donated a combined $20,000 to four organizations: My Free Taxes, School Supply Assistance Program, Avenues to Opportunity and Student Support Line.
Spirits weren’t the only thing being lifted at Cummins, Inc. and Toyota Material Handling’s eighth annual Give Back Event Thursday, held at United Way of Bartholomew County’s Old Firehouse Building.
Their combined contribution of $20,000, to be split evenly among four United Way of Bartholomew County-sponsored initiatives, will go towards lifting up families and residents across the community. Each of these initiatives promote childhood development, youth opportunity, family self-sufficiency and financial stability.
“… one of my favorite quotes, and at Toyota we make forklifts, so we like to say, ‘if you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up first.’ And I think that’s a very good story for today,” Brett Wood, President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling, said at the event.
Wood and Brett Merritt, Engine Business President at Cummins, Inc., presented $5,000 checks to the Bartholomew County School Supply Assistance Program, My Free Taxes, Avenues to Opportunity and the Student Support Line. Representatives from each program were also invited up to receive the check and share a little bit about what they do.
“All of these programs United Way of Bartholomew County is the fiscal agent for, and the thing that they all have in common is just lifting up people in our community, helping them to reach their full potential and we just really, really appreciate that,” United Way of Bartholomew County President Mark Stewart said.
The School Supply Assistance Program distributes fully stocked backpacks through a coalition of 10 community organizations. BCSC Administrative assistant and program committee member Kirin Sandusky said the program provides an average of 2,100 to 2,300 backpacks each year to Bartholomew County students, each backpack being filled with essential school supplies.
“Imagine being a student who shows up to school on the first day empty handed, because their parents or guardians had to make a choice between buying school supplies or putting food on the table,” Sandusky said. “Our program ensures that this does not happen in Bartholomew County.”
My Free Taxes, according to volunteer Cindy Rutan, offers free and basic tax preparation for low to moderate income households. The program is entirely volunteer-driven, with dedicated volunteers undergoing IRS tests before the tax season starts. Last tax season, the organization helped 1,275 families prepare their taxes, equivalent to about $1 million in refunds, Rutan said.
Avenues to Opportunity is United Way of Bartholomew County’s signature program, which helps individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency through job coaching, budgeting support and access to childcare and healthcare. It also ties directly back to United Way’s goal of elevating 1,000 families out of poverty into self-sufficiency in 2,000, a goal Stewart said they are on track to achieving.
The Student Support Line enables Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. educators to request basic need items, from clothing to bedding to food, for students. Around 230 students received assistance last year, and Volunteer Action Center director Alicia Monroe said they will most likely surpass that total this year.
“I always say that this is (my) most favorite part of my job, I feel like I play Santa every single day of the school year,” Monroe said. “I don’t know who these kids are, I don’t have contact with them, I literally just go into the office and drop it off to whoever called me and then they give it to the kids.”
Representatives from each program expressed gratitude for Toyota and Cummins’ donations. Rutan said the funds will go a long way to allow them to help more people with free tax preparation, and Stewart said funds will go toward supporting coaches out in the community.
“And the way that works is not just about the resources, it’s about helping people set goals and it’s also about helping people believe in themselves, that they can accomplish those goals,” Stewart said. “And so the coaching is really the secret sauce about what makes that program work.”
Though Wood has been attending this event for eight years, ever since he and former Cummins Inc. CEO Tom Linebarger discussed local charities over lunch, he always learns more about United Way’s programs and enjoys doing so. This time, he said he learned more about My Free Taxes and the School Supply Assistance Program.
“We could just write a check and send it to somebody, but to have this event gives us a nice opportunity for each organization to describe and share their journey, their spirit, their story,” Wood said.
Similarly, Merritt said he was introduced to My Free Taxes through Thursday’s event, but he’s always impressed with the programs United Way offers and how they all stitch together. He said both Cummins and Toyota share the belief that one of their key stakeholders is community.
“And without a strong community you won’t have a strong company, and likewise as a strong company, you should invest in your community,” Merritt said. “And then today really highlights there are people in our communities that you may not know about who have needs and if you can provide some of those basic needs, it will undoubtedly lift those who need it the most.”
