In the past weeks, we’ve seen examples consistently where dealers and dealership owners are using their resources to help their communities. Particularly, the compassion on display has been inspiring for not just the auto retail industry but society as a whole.
In what seems like a never-ending stream of stories of kindness, we have four more instances where American dealers are seen putting others before themselves especially with food.
Easter Feast on the Menu in Exeter PA
In early April, Barber Ford of Exeter took part in a food drive for the residents of Luzerne County. During the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, organizer Marty Jordan took the initiative to collect and distribute food items to anyone who needed them.
Donors in the neighborhood included restaurants and local food banks, filling boxes with pasta, sauce, soup, and other non-perishables. And what may have started as a food bank has absolutely exploded into a makeshift grocery store in the showroom for anyone in need.
“You know we had the facility and the means to help and the friends who were willing to help you know and we just put it out on Facebook and people were just delivering food like left and right like crazy,” said Jordan.
Images on the dealer’s Facebook page show tables and shelves in the PA Ford dealer’s showroom are filled with essential items and snacks. Over the Easter weekend, over 700 people received dinners to go along with those supplies. Partnering with Barber Ford have been services like Grico’s Restaurant and Catering for prepared meals.
The food drive continues, inspired by Marty Jordan.
Food Bank Receives Huge Donation from Ganley Westside Subaru
In North Olmsted, Ohio, Ken Ganley is the president and CEO of the Ganley Auto Group. While overseeing the operations of one of America’s top dealer groups, Ganley has never been shy of making an impact in the community. This time, it was with an $80,000 donation to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank on behalf of Ganley Westside Subaru in the midst of the COVID-19 recovery effort.
In the dealership’s ‘Community Involvement’ section on their website, it states, “At Ganley Westside Imports, we understand that our impact in the local community, and those surrounding, is vitally important for its continued success and the benefit of the great people/organizations apart of it; we are only as strong as our community and its members. Our Ganley family here in North Olmsted is made up of individuals from all around the locality and even beyond, which is just one of the reasons we’re eager and willing to help provide time, resources and financial means for the greater good.”
$80,000 will go a long way to feed the needy in their community.
Related: How Dealers Can Support Fixed-Ops through the Coronavirus Pandemic
AutoNation Feeds Their People in South Florida
As America’s largest dealer group, AutoNation has tens of thousands of employees across the nation. And despite suffering significant organizational setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AutoNation continues to show their staff how much they care.
In South Florida, 23 of the dealer group’s dealerships were provided with meals to feed more than 1,000 of their hardworking employees. According to AutoNation Market President Benny Dominguez, it’s a show of support for their team. “The government established automotive retail as an essential business, and we’ve been here every day working and providing this service, and we said, ‘What can we do for our associates to show them a token of appreciation?’”
Keep it up, dealers!
Did you enjoy this article from Jason Unrau? Read other articles from him here.
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