Toyota Team Members Give Back To Community During Production Shutdown

BLUE SPRINGS, MISS. (WCBI) – Many of the team members at Toyota Mississippi have spent the past three weeks giving back to the community.

During the production shutdown, team members were given three options;  they could take paid time off,  take days with no pay, or come to the plant where volunteer opportunities would be provided for them.

On Wednesday afternoon,  team members were making “Sweet Cases,” or blue duffel bags stuffed with a teddy bear, blanket, crayons and other items.  The duffel bags are given to Child Protective Services who will give the bags to children in the foster care system.

Team members have also built a home frame for Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity.  That was built inside the plant.

They also donated 117 pints of blood to Vitalant.

“We have a great opportunity here at Toyota Mississippi to give back to the community, even when not producing cars.  It shows how much Toyota actually cares about the community and the employees.  We’re getting paid to do this,” said Team Member Cedric Stewart.

“It helps on so many levels, first of all, it puts a smile on the children’s faces, they have been through a lot, so to have something to call their own, means the world to them, that will help them that way,” said Roland Williams, with MDCPS.

Team members have also filled five hundred bags with hygeine items for “Wear It Well” and they assembled fifty backpacks for children in the Hispanic community served by El Centro.