Leonard Bus Sales has stopped sponsoring promotional giveaways at industry events and is instead using its marketing budget for a partnership with regional food banks to address child hunger.
Child Hunger affects some 13 million youngsters in the U.S., and for Leonard Bus Sales fighting the epidemic has become a new company focus. The IC Bus and Trans Tech school bus dealer headquartered in Deposit, New York said it is now dedicating its efforts to supporting Feeding America’s backpack food programs.
Leonard Bus sales will no longer continue promotional giveaways at trade shows, but will use the money it would have spent on items to purchase backpacks for students of the backpack food program.
So far, Leonard Bus Sales has partnered with seven regional food banks across New York. Collectively they service 57 counties with meals for children that are served in addition to free school lunches.
Though every regional food bank operates differently, students usually receive additional nutritional meals on Fridays that ideally last throughout the weekend. Students must undergo approval to participate in the backpack food program, which organizers explained serves 22,000 children with 4,000 individual meals per year.
The Feeding America website offers additional information on its school-based child hunger program.
