Toyota Provides CSAs
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the lives of millions of Americans from rural towns to cities, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has created a Community Service Announcement (CSA) to bring awareness and credible information to the African American and Hispanic communities around the country which are among the hardest hit by the virus.
Titled #UsAgainstCOVID, the CSA, featuring a number of high-profile African American and Hispanic celebrities including Anthony Anderson, Cedric The Entertainer and Lupita Infante, aims to help these affected communities understand the risks, share steps on how to avoid contracting the virus and direct them to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) web site for more information.
“With the aim of giving back to the American communities in which we operate, we partnered with high-profile celebrities to bring an important prevention message to communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by this deadly virus,” said Chris Reynolds, chief administrative officer, Manufacturing and Corporate Resources for TMNA. “We moved quickly to make this CSA and are hopeful it will make a meaningful impact in the communities hardest hit by the COVID pandemic. We’re all in this together and we must work together to regain the health of our country, no matter where we live.”
The CSA debuted on BET’s social channels during their Saving Our Selves (S.O.S.): A BET COVID-19 Relief Fund Effort broadcast last evening and will continue to run on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other digital channels through May 6. This CSA includes videos in 60-second and 30-second formats in both English and Spanish.
According to CDC data, African Americans were hospitalized at higher rates than whites for COVID-19. Several states also released their own data showing that African Americans are dying at disproportional rates from COVID-19. And in some major cities, more Hispanics per capita are succumbing to the illness than any other ethnic group.
Hyundai Gives More Hope On Wheels
Hyundai Motor America announced the expansion of its support for COVID-19 drive-thru testing to 22 hospitals nationwide with $4 million in grants through its Hyundai Hope On Wheels program. These grants are designed to combat the coronavirus by providing increased access to testing throughout the nation. The company has partnered with Congressman Cedric Richmond, Louisiana State University Health, and the Mayor’s Office of New Orleans to support areas that are hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hyundai Motor America announced the expansion of its support for COVID-19 drive-thru testing to 22 hospitals nationwide with $4.3 million in grants through its Hyundai Hope On Wheels program. These grants are designed to combat the coronavirus by providing increased access to testing throughout the nation.
The company has partnered with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Health Department, and the Houston Health Foundation to help those communities most vulnerable.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created a particular threat to children with cancer, many of whom have compromised immune systems. Each center is following CDC guidelines for testing eligibility: patients with a doctor order must have clinical factors of at-risk populations (like children with cancer), or work as health/child care professionals. Each is a certified test center for the state.
Kia Shields Faces
In response to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kia Motors has delivered an initial supply of 15,000 face shields produced at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) to the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA).
Face shields are being assembled by paid volunteers from KMMG, which has implemented a series of safety measures to protect team members, including: conductingtemperature scans, providing face masks and gloves, and staggering workstations.
Kia will be gradually increasing face shield production, ultimately reaching a capacity of 200,000 units per month, in support of donations the company has scheduled over the next several weeks to medical facilities in Southern California and New York.Face shield production is the latest extension of Kia’s Accelerate the Good program following the company’s pledge to donate a total of $1 million to non-profit partners that assist homeless youth nationwide, including Covenant House, StandUp for Kids and Family Promise. Kia’s donation will help provide much needed shelter and care to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Earlier, Kia donated N95 masks and gloves to medical facilities throughout Orange County, California, where the brand’s U.S. headquarters is located.
Standard Motor Products Provide Oxygen
Standard Motor Products, Inc. (SMP) announces that its Temperature Control Division has delivered heat exchangers suitable for oxygen concentrators and oxygen generators, key components used in the production of medical ventilators.
With the recent high demand for oxygen and ventilating equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SMP received an emergency request to deliver 1000 units this month. Because the factory maintains and manufactures to the strict standards and controls required for medical applications, SMP employees were able to swiftly turn around the needed units and expedite them to California. The SMP® heat exchangers play a key role in controlling the oxygen temperature and concentration in complete ventilator system operation.
Gunther Motor Company Gives Meals
With the help of a South Florida based meal delivery company, Gunther Motor Company presented meals to local hospitals and first responders from Hollywood, Florida to Delray Beach, Florida. Throughout the week, they were able to prepare and deliver 1,500 meals to individuals on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. Sharon Truske, Director of Major Gifts at Joe DiMaggio Hospital and a recipient of 300 meals, said “It’s heartwarming to get a call from a Joe DiMaggio donor who wants to do even more by providing our health-care heroes with a healthy delicious meal! We couldn’t survive this time without the type of community involvement being done by Gunther Motor Company.”
Automotive Touchup Makes Hand Sanitzers
In an effort to help alleviate chronic shortages of Personal Protective Equipment for medical workers combating COVID-19, AutomotiveTouchup, a New Orleans based manufacturer of automobile paints and supplies, repurposed part of their production line to produce and then donate more than 900 units of hand sanitizer for hospital use at LCMC Health New Orleans.
Cold Storage News
The saddest news today is Acela Truck Company, manufacturer of high-mobility fire and rescue trucks, has been tasked by several federal agencies to manufacture as many as 200 mass fatality portable morgue trailers over the next several months as part of continuing efforts to respond to the growing number of fatalities as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Disaster Portable Morgue Units (DPMUs) are mobile, self-contained refrigerated trailers and shipping containers used to expand morgue and hospital mortuary capabilities. The DPMUs are specifically designed by Acela to address the multiple challenges of the existing, makeshift refrigerated semi-trailers that the federal agencies have been using. Each unit is outfitted with low-entry floors and ramp systems, seamless interior surfaces and customized, expandable racking systems that accommodate industry standard equipment, shore and generator power systems. They have a life expectancy of more than 20 years.
To accommodate the demand for the DPMUs, Acela has halted its truck production lines and retooled its manufacturing capabilities for the next 60-90 days to produce and deliver units for federal agencies across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Following guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Acela has implemented an aggressive cleaning and disinfecting program within its facilities to reduce health risks and keep its employees safe. The Montana-based manufacturer has also expanded its production to seven, 10-hour days per week and is hiring as many as 20 new skilled production staff. In addition, Acela is working with more than 30 outside vendors on the project, many of whom are air freighting in parts and supplies to meet demands