Jerry’s Toyota takes its commitment to the community seriously.
So, each May, the dealership provides lunch to some lucky teachers and nurses in the Baltimore area.
“Our mission is to practice an unwavering commitment to our customers, our community, each other, and our products,” says Bill Bolander, Jerry’s Toyota’s chief communications officer.
Of course, COVID provided some obstacles over the past year and a half. That’s why the dealership switched from catered lunches to box lunches.
But that didn’t stop Bolander and company from loading up a few Toyotas with 80 boxed lunches for teachers at Mars Estates Elementary School, Fullerton Elementary School and Carney Elementary school. They followed that with 1,000 boxed lunches for nurses and staff at Greater Baltimore Medical Center.
“Both nurses and teachers are critical parts of our community,” Bolander says. “We just want to take a moment each year to put a smile on their faces, a warm meal in their bellies, and a pat on their backs, letting them we care about them and their role in our community.”
It’s just part of Jerry’s Toyota’s community support. If you’re in the greater Baltimore area, you may see their sponsorship at fairs and carnivals, or in local school athletic departments, helping to defer costs and keep events cheap — or free — for everyone.
“We like to encourage the children in our community to be active in sports as they develop into adults,” Bolander says. “They learn valuable life skills through these programs including teamwork and responsibility.”
Sometimes giving back means changing a life by supporting local athletes. Sometimes it simply means making someone’s day better by giving them lunch.
The lunch program began about five years ago, and has blossomed into something of a tradition for Jerry’s Toyota. And, well, it’s not bad for business, either.
“The first time we did this, I counted about 80 cars parked in the Mars Estates faculty parking area and did not see one Jerry’s Toyota tag bracket,” Bolander says. “This year, because of the pandemic, there were about 50 cars parked in that area. I counted eight Toyota tag brackets.”
