Coronavirus: Honda Marysville pledges to support basic human needs

Honda is making a commitment to help basic community needs by supporting health care, nutrition and relief for customers.

The automaker will empower its associates to help their communities through “virtual volunteering” and by supporting organizations addressing food insecurity through a special matching gift fund.

Honda is initiating an effort to harness the spirit of community in responding to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort is led by an initial $1 million pledge to food banks and meal programs across the United States, Canada and Mexico and is intended to provide the most vulnerable with access to food.

The company also will implement the matching gift program that enables Honda employees to donate to food programs in their communities, matching up to $1,000 for each individual gift.

“We are focusing our societal response on three vital and immediate human needs,” said Rick Schostek, Executive Vice President of Honda North America, Inc. “We are addressing food insecurity at a time when many families are struggling, investigating the potential to use our manufacturing know-how to produce medical equipment to help those battling COVID-19, and deploying our associate ‘virtual volunteers,’ to help people in need.”

Honda’s response also includes supporting several community and government efforts:

• Honda has donated much of its stocks of Personal Protective Equipment from its North American facilities, including N95 face masks, to support healthcare providers.

• The company is deploying 3-D printers to manufacture visors for protective face shields and is investigating partnering with companies.

• Honda, for its customers, is offering payment extensions and deferrals, as well as late fee waivers for Honda and Acura finance customers affected by the pandemic, and a 90-day deferred payment to qualified customers for new vehicle sales financed by Honda and Acura.