I volunteered for this and was not paid by Toyota.
My heart is so full from last week. I partnered with the Denver Toyota Dealers Association to donate $10,000 to the Denver Rescue Mission. Look at the enthusiastic and thankful love the DRM employees showed us (in the photo above).
When I was asked to help, I couldn't write back "count me in" fast enough to the Toyota representative. I love volunteering in different ways especially when it comes to food-related opportunities.
Mountain States Toyota brought a 2020 Rav4 Hybrid to my house to pack full of donations. I didn't want to disappoint so I reached out to my neighbors for extra help. I posted on our neighborhood Facebook group asking if anyone wanted to donate money or drop food off at my house. I had a porch full of donations and several Venmo donations. I took the Rav4 to my nearest grocery store and purchased as many items I could for the total donation amount.
It was a lot of fun picking out my favorite brands that sold perishables in bulk. I purchased Quaker Oats, Busch's Beans, JIF Peanut Butter, and more.
A little tip for you: buying in bulk is more cost effective for donations and provides more food at a lower price.
After filling the car up, I headed to meet the Toyota team and Lindsey Lee, the other influencer from the campaign, at the Denver Rescue Mission to unload.
While this is the season of giving, I encourage you to donate and volunteer year round. Donation items needed at the #DenverRescueMission include: 🔻Canned Fruit 🔻Canned Vegetables 🔻Peanut Butter 🔻Canned Tuna 🔻Oatmeal 🔻Pancake Mix 🔻Cooking Oil 🔻Rice The Denver Rescue Mission Warehouse (39th & Holly) accepts donations Monday through Friday and the Denver Rescue Mission (Downtown) accepts them 7 days a week.
Grab your friends and family, host a food drive and donate!