How Toyota Leveraged its Diverse Partnerships to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims
October 26, 2017
On August 25th, 2017, Hurricane Harvey turned the city of Houston, Texas, into a disaster area of previously unimaginable proportions. As the floodwaters rose, the situation evolved from an economic nightmare to a humanitarian crisis. Without so much as electricity or even drinkable water, much less the means to escape the waterlogged region, Harvey’s countless victims found themselves in dire need of assistance. That’s where Toyota comes into the story, bringing with it an entourage of diverse partnerships and a knack for delivering creative solutions.
Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Toyota has contributed $225,000 in disaster relief by supporting Toyota Mothers of Invention honorees DayOneResponse, Well Aware and LuminAID. These are just three of the 19 remarkable organizations that form Toyota Mothers of Invention, a group of inspirational women-led companies honored with generous grants and funding from Toyota. Over the years, Toyota’s support has helped these companies lead the charge of humanitarian efforts in the face of challenges around the world – including Hurricane Harvey.
As a case in point, when DayOne Response — known for creating a water filtration bag that enables people to drink even in the absence of potable water — distributed 3,000 of its bags to Southeast Texas victims, fellow Toyota Mothers of Invention organization Well Aware conducted on-the-ground support, traveling to remote towns with plenty of bags to ensure as many people as possible had both clean water and the necessary training to use filtration bags on their own.
Similarly, LuminAID – another Toyota Mothers of Invention organization – has shipped more than 7,000 lanterns and phone chargers to help victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, with Toyota sponsoring 3,000 phone chargers and 740 lanterns. Toyota’s contribution continues to help LuminAID as it campaigns to raise additional funding for Puerto Rico’s victims and prepares for the next catastrophic event.
Still, while the storms may have passed, this is just the beginning of the road to rehabilitation for many. As the recovery efforts continue, so too will Toyota’s work with its partners – not just providing financial assistance, but developing unique solutions that help victims regain their mobility.
