Toyota Greater New York Dealers Association
TDA, New York Region Team up for Donation to Homeless Charity
Jan/Feb 2019
A Little Kindness
New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison (left) attended the donation event to sign autographs and distribute goods on behalf of the team.
New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison (left) attended the donation event to sign autographs and distribute goods on behalf of the team.
Essex County accounted for nearly 25 percent of New Jersey’s homeless population in 2017.
The biggest issues were in Newark, the Essex County seat and the largest city in the state.
So how do we help?
Well, it’s a little bit of serendipity. Cue up Kevin Curran, the former New York Region assistant general manager (and current Kansas City Region GM) and Jenny DePaul, who runs ProjectKIND. The two went to high school together, and Curran caught wind of DePaul’s organization, which strives to help the homeless in Newark.
The result? The Toyota Greater New York Dealers Association and Toyota combining to donate a new Sienna and $25,000 to the organization that aims to provide food and clothes to the homeless.
“Since high school, I knew Jenny had a heart of gold,” said Curran. “But when Toyota heard about her selflessness and heroic efforts to provide food and clothing for the homeless through ProjectKIND, we were amazed and felt inspired to help. Toyota is always searching for ways to empower people through the gift of mobility. We saw a true need and with this Sienna donation, an opportunity to help in our own small way.”
The donation took place in May at Newark’s Peter Francisco Park. The Sienna will help DePaul haul donations – including food and clothes – and distribute them to the less fortunate. And, to put a little more jazz into the donation, the New York Giants lent a hand as well, filling the Sienna with donations, and lending linebacker Kareem Martin and tight end Rhett Ellison – to the ceremony.
The biggest issues were in Newark, the Essex County seat and the largest city in the state.
So how do we help?
Well, it’s a little bit of serendipity. Cue up Kevin Curran, the former New York Region assistant general manager (and current Kansas City Region GM) and Jenny DePaul, who runs ProjectKIND. The two went to high school together, and Curran caught wind of DePaul’s organization, which strives to help the homeless in Newark.
The result? The Toyota Greater New York Dealers Association and Toyota combining to donate a new Sienna and $25,000 to the organization that aims to provide food and clothes to the homeless.
“Since high school, I knew Jenny had a heart of gold,” said Curran. “But when Toyota heard about her selflessness and heroic efforts to provide food and clothing for the homeless through ProjectKIND, we were amazed and felt inspired to help. Toyota is always searching for ways to empower people through the gift of mobility. We saw a true need and with this Sienna donation, an opportunity to help in our own small way.”
The donation took place in May at Newark’s Peter Francisco Park. The Sienna will help DePaul haul donations – including food and clothes – and distribute them to the less fortunate. And, to put a little more jazz into the donation, the New York Giants lent a hand as well, filling the Sienna with donations, and lending linebacker Kareem Martin and tight end Rhett Ellison – to the ceremony.
