Honda of America Mfg. associates at facilities in the region have joined together this holiday season for a common cause of spreading joy to local families on Christmas morning.
A total of 700 West Central Ohio families were adopted this year by Honda’s Holiday Wish List program. Through the generosity of associates at the East Liberty Auto Plant, Anna Engine Plant and the Marysville Auto Plant and Performance Manufacturing Center, toys, clothing and gift cards will be distributed to these families.
Associates began collecting items in early November, and last week, they gathered and distributed all the items to local charities organizations in Logan, Union and Shelby counties.
“Our goal as a company has always been to be a good neighbor and to support communities around us,” said Tom Shoupe, Honda of America executive vice president. “Our associates are passionate about supporting Honda’s local communities.”
In addition to the 700 Honda Holiday Wish List recipients, each of the plants participated in Honda’s Hat, Coat and Mittens Drive and collected 1,600 items for local residents.
At the East Liberty Auto Plant, employees this year also continued a tradition that was started three years ago — a tree decorating contest — among teams of associates.
Themes ranged from Barbies to LEGOs to candy canes and patriotic trees that were displayed earlier this month in the skyway entrance to the plant.
The enthusiasm for this project is quite contagious among associates, said Keith Strickland, East Liberty Auto Plant Line 3 Division Manager
“Everybody cannot wait for the trees each year. The teams get together and really have a great time with this effort.
“Once the wish lists for the adopted families is put out there, our associates are so quick to want to sign up and help out, so the adoption lists go very quickly. It is a wonderful reminder of the importance of giving throughout the season.”
The actual Christmas trees and decorations are donated to the Salvation Army in Union County, Strickland related, noting that he is never short on volunteers to assist with transporting the large trees from the plant to the charity organization.
“It is an example that as a company, we very much care about and are embedded in the community.”
In addition to the Wish List Program and adopted families, associates of Honda Transmission Manufacturing spearheaded their fifth annual effort to supply Christmas items for children in all three Students With Disabilities Cross Categorical classrooms at Indian Lake Schools, as previously detailed in the Examiner.
HTM employees recently brought special gifts for all the SWD pupils at Indian Lake High School, Indian Lake Middle School and Indian Lake Elementary School.
Students opened brand new books, stuffed animals and Laker sweatshirts along with other personal gifts like LEGOs and video games. They also each received gifts for boys and girls, like athletic equipment and makeup, along with blankets for the winter.
Beyond giving gifts to the students, HTM employees delivered 10 new Chromebooks to the ILHS classroom and also donated needed classroom supplies to each of the units.
Since 1979, when Honda of America Mfg., Inc. established its Ohio operations, the company has donated more than $100 million in philanthropic contributions, and Honda associates have volunteered more than 100,000 hours of service.