Toyota, TL-MODA, and The Salvation Army Team Up to Distribute Backpacks and School Supplies to 16,900 Students Nationwide

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Back-to-school season brings excitement for students—but for many families, it also brings financial strain as they struggle to afford essential supplies. To help ease this burden and ensure students have the tools they need to succeed, Toyota, the Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association (TL-MODA), The Salvation Army, and other community partners are joining forces to distribute 16,900 backpacks filled with essential school supplies to help students in need nationwide.

Backpacks will be distributed through Toyota and Lexus dealerships, plant locations, and The Salvation Army to reach families in 71 communities nationwide. The breakdown of distribution includes:

• 6,500 backpacks distributed to pre-registered families at TL-MODA dealerships in partnership with The Salvation Army
• 5,000 backpacks distributed to pre-registered clients by The Salvation Army
• 5,000 backpacks distributed by Toyota plant locations to select local schools
• 400 backpacks distributed by TL-MODA dealerships in partnership with other community organizations

This large-scale initiative highlights the power of collaboration between national and local partners to create lasting impact for thousands of families.

"At TL-MODA, we believe in lifting up our communities and that starts with our youth. We're honored to partner with The Salvation Army again this year to help students start school with confidence, dignity, and the support they deserve," says Robert D. Hatchett, Jr., Executive Director at TL-MODA.

Walmart has also helped procure school supplies and hosted a large-scale packing event at one of its fulfillment centers. Volunteers from Toyota, TL-MODA, The Salvation Army, and Walmart worked side by side to assemble backpacks filled with age-appropriate supplies - such as pencils, notebooks, and folders— and in many cases a $10 Walmart gift card, ensuring that students from elementary through high school are equipped for the school year.

"Walmart is committed to giving back to the local communities where we serve," said Jay Cordray, Walmart senior vice president and operations lead, West Business Unit. "We were honored to host volunteers from The Salvation Army, Toyota and TL-MODA at our Fort Worth fulfillment center where Walmart associates joined them and helped fill thousands of school backpacks to help get the new school year off to a great start." 

The real success of this initiative isn't measured in backpacks distributed but, in the smiles, confidence, and relief it brings to families - allowing children to walk into the classroom feeling ready, and parents to shift limited resources toward food, housing, and other essential needs.

Since the launch of this partnership in 2020, Toyota has invested more than $2 million in programs serving under-resourced communities. Together, we are helping thousands of students walk into school equipped, empowered, and ready to thrive.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army helped more than 27 million people in 2024 overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food, shelter, eviction prevention assistance, emergency disaster relief, rehabilitation, after-school and summer youth programs, spiritual enrichment, and more, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at more than 6,000 centers of operation around the country. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on X @SalvationArmyUS.

About TL-MODA:

TL-MODA's goal is to represent the needs of minority dealers within Toyota and Lexus. Any dealership which represents a minority group, based on 51 percent or more ownership, is invited to join as a dealer member. Some of the benefits available to dealer members include networking opportunities, mentoring support, collective representation within Toyota and Lexus, community involvement support, and development opportunities, among others.

Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association (TL-MODA) is a diverse dealer association focused on the growth and sustainability of Toyota and Lexus minority customers, and ethnic minority dealers. For more information, go to www.tlmoda.org.

About Toyota: 

Toyota has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

 Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota's plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

 For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

SOURCE TL-MODA