BOWIE, Md. -

Last year, the Toyota Lexus Minority Owners Dealership Association, or TLMODA,  teamed up with The Salvation Army to create a National COVID-19 Day of Service, supporting families that have become vulnerable because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Since then, the demand for food has multiplied,” TLMODA board president Carlos Liriano said in a news release.

On Tuesday, TLMODA said it is again working with The Salvation Army to address the what it describes as an increasing food shortage across the country by providing food to families in need during the pandemic.

On Friday, TLMODA dealers and The Salvation Army will distribute more than 1,400 food boxes at participating Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington and Texas dealerships.

“We hope this collective effort by our TLMODA members helps feed families in our communities and provides some reprieve from the economic hardships they face on a daily basis,” Liriano said.

“The Salvation Army has seen a tsunami of need over the last year,’ said commissioner Kenneth Hodder, national commander of The Salvation Army.

Toyota dealership staff during TLMODA’s National COVID-19 Day of Service will distribute grocery boxes of non-perishable items to help feed a family of four for a week. Boxes of cereal and canned goods are examples of non-perishable food items. 

Local Salvation Army teams Items will pack and assemble items for the grocery boxes, following safety guidelines from local, state and federal health officials. As part of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, which TLMODA says helps feed the mind and inspire creativity, an art kit will also be included with the box.

Youth ages 4 to 15 are invited to participate by submitting their artwork.

The Salvation Army is working to help identify families needing food, instructing them to pick up their grocery box at one of the participating Toyota dealerships. The organization is also working to maintain proper social distance protocols, placing boxes in the trunk of each family’s vehicle on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies are exhausted. To qualify for a grocery box, all families must contact their local Salvation Army.

“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have provided more than 150 million meals to families in need,” Hodder of the Salvation Army said. “This was in large part thanks to the commitment of community members and partners like TLMODA and its member dealerships. We know that 2021 will continue to be challenging for millions of Americans, but with the help of organizations like TLMODA, we’ll continue to meet the evolving needs of our neighbors across the country.”

TLMODA held its inaugural National COVID-19 Day of Service in partnership with The Salvation Army in May.