“The awards we’re announcing today address challenges that too many Americans face,” said Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North American Operations and chairman of the Mazda Foundation (USA), Inc. “Those challenges range from basic food security to equal access to the building blocks of education. Everyone needs these fundamentals in order to thrive.”
The grants to the food banks aim to increase the delivery of food to families located in California and Alabama in need at a time that demand has increased. Recent estimates placing that increase at +60% since March 2020. The Foundation award to FUSE will fund STEM coursework for several underserved middle schools, and the award to AVID will ensure underserved students have the opportunity not only to be admitted to college but to succeed once they arrive.