Morgan State University Newsroom Morgan State University
TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 16, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In honor of the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Toyota Financial Services (TFS) announced today that it has made a donation totaling $50,000 to five Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).
The five recipients of a $10,000 TFS donation, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland; Bowie State University, Prince George’s County, Maryland; Delaware State University, Dover, Delaware; Howard University, Washington, D.C.; and, Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia; all provide exceptional educational opportunities within many of the communities in which TFS operates.
“While at Morehouse, Dr. King observed that ‘Education must enable a man to become more efficient, to achieve with increasing facility the legitimate goals of life,'” said Mike Groff, TFS president and CEO. “To help further the principles he so effectively championed, and in keeping with TFS’ deeply held commitment to diversity and inclusion, TFS is honored to support the mission of HBCUs and the dreams they help make possible.”
“We are grateful to Toyota Financial Services for recognizing an area of critical need for a growing number of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and stepping in to provide valuable support. I can assure you that Morgan State University will identify the best possible use for this investment in our students,” said Morgan State President David Wilson. “It is fitting that this gift to Morgan from Toyota Financial Services is being made during the time that we are celebrating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King believed so strongly that young people should be given an opportunity to receive the best education possible; that was a part of his dream. Unfortunately, many students at Morgan are unable to fulfill their dream because of the lack of financial aid. This gift will go a long way in helping so many of our students to fulfill Dr. King’s dream,” said Dr. Wilson.
“In the years since we launched our Making Life Easier program to support education initiatives, after-school programs and financial literacy among underserved youth, TFS has provided millions of dollars in scholarships to deserving students across the nation and our associates have devoted their time and talents to many meaningful national- and community-based programs,” noted John Ridgeway, Corporate Manager, Customer Service Center – East for TFS, who presented the donations to each institution on behalf of the company. “As an extension of our existing relationship with HBCUs, including a partnership with the Toyota Green Initiative, we believe our contribution to these fine institutions will help them with the critical task of addressing issues that impact student retention and will help create a bright future for the populations they serve.”
TFS has been recognized for its longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, including being named as a DiversityInc Top 50 company for six years in a row and has been consistently recognized by Black Enterprise, Hispanic Business and the Human Rights Campaign as a best company for diversity and best places to work. TFS executives actively support and sponsor the company’s many diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information about Toyota’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, please visit www.toyota.com/diversity.
About Toyota Financial Services
TFS is the finance and insurance brand for Toyota in the United States, offering retail auto financing and leasing, as well as commercial equipment, truck, and fleet financing, through Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (TMCC) and Toyota Lease Trust. TFS also offers extended service contracts through Toyota Motor Insurance Services (TMIS). Lexus Financial Services is the brand for financial products for Lexus dealers and customers. TFS currently employs approximately 3,200 associates nationwide, and has assets totaling over $102 billion. It is part of a worldwide network of comprehensive financial services offered by Toyota Financial Services Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. We announce material financial information using the investor relations section of our website (www.toyotafinancial.com) and SEC filings. We use these channels, press releases, and social media to communicate about our company, our services and other issues. While not all information we post on social media is of a material nature, some information could be material. Therefore, we encourage those interested in our company to review our posts on Twitter at www.twitter.com/toyotafinancial.
For more information about the company’s support of financial literacy, after-school programs, and other community initiatives, please visit www.tfsinthecommunity.com.
