The Toyota Cars For Good program creates new opportunities to expand the good of different charities across Canada. This national program creates incredible possibilities for charities to elevate their impact and make the transportation of people, goods, and services more accessible. Power To Be applied for the program back in 2021 and was thrilled to learn that we had been selected as a recipient of a brand new Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Applications for the program are scored based on community impact, movement and vehicle need. Power To Be was selected as a vehicle recipient alongside Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association and People in Motion.
Power To Be envisioned a more accessible future with the addition of another vehicle to help support transporting our participants and community partners to different program locations. Sometimes, to experience all that nature has to offer, the natural spaces we visit can be remote and challenging to get to. This vehicle will help us in our mission of removing barriers to nature by providing, safe, reliable transportation to our inclusive, nature-based programs. While we have a multi-passenger vans for transporting larger groups of people, the new smaller hybrid vehicle is much better suited for picking up smaller groups, such as for some of our 1 to 1 programs. Transportation can often be a barrier for participants, so having another vehicle in our fleet will make such a difference in ensuring everyone is able to attend our adventures.
As a part of the award, Power To Be had the opportunity to film some of our programs to showcase the impact that this incredible gift will serve our staff and participants. Our marketing team attended an overnight program with a local middle school class to demonstrate what some of our programs look like and the community impact of Power To Be. All of the participants were so excited to see the new vehicle on site, proudly branded with the Power To Be logo and the Toyota Cars For Good logo. The afternoon was full of smiles and laughter as the group set up, starting with a game and opening circle and then setting up tents. In the evening, the group gathered in the roundhouse for dinner, and as dusk settled in, they headed on a hike in the forest with a volunteer from Habitat Acquisition Trust to keep an eye out for and learn about bat activity in the area. The next day was a rainy one, but the group kept the positive energy up as they spent time on the water, fishing and kayaking, and then warmed up around a crackling fire. Check out the video highlighting Power To Be!
As our programs and impact continue to grow exponentially, the need for increased transportation options will grow as well. With the imminent opening of our new facility at Power To Be’s Prospect Lake site, we are excited to utilize this new vehicle to get participants, supplies, and gear to and from the site safely and efficiently.
Thank you Toyota Cars For Good for helping us increase the good that we can do in our community!
