Normally, automakers use press cars to feed good impressions to the media and give reporters a chance to spend some quality time behind the wheel.
With COVID-19 sending Canadians to food banks for relief, Kia Canada found another purpose for the brand-new rides, which included models such as the Sportage, Soul and Telluride. In May, the automaker partnered with charitable organization Food Banks Canada to lend vehicles from its press fleet to food banks in Toronto and Vancouver. It also donated CA$200,000 (about $147,000 U.S.) to Food Banks Canada.
The press vehicles were on loan for about a month to help food banks deliver goods, as well as to help volunteers get to where they were needed. Most of the vehicles were returned by mid-July, said Kia Canada spokeswoman Jennifer Szmilko.
In addition, Kia Canada called its dealers into action to help food banks in whatever way they could as they dealt with higher demand in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We wanted to see if dealers would be willing to reach out to their local food bank location and see what their needs are,” Szmilko said. “There isn’t one solution for every food bank. They all have a different need based on their community. They may already have enough food, but they may need volunteers or they may need a car or they may need someone to help with fundraising.”
Kia Canada hopes that assistance from its dealers will help community food banks stay afloat through the pandemic.
Dealers “know their communities the best and they know where to support their communities,” Szmilko said.
