When a disaster strikes, everyone looks to the American Red Cross to provide hope, comfort and support. Whether it is a natural disaster or a middle-of-the-night home fire, the Red Cross is there to provide shelter, food, emergency relief supplies and emotional support. Big disasters create more needs than any one organization can meet.

Through support from companies such as Mazda, the Red Cross is able to maintain a variety of resources and equipment that allows the organization to be ready to respond anytime, anywhere to help people affected by disasters. We’re honored to join the Red Cross as they continue their mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies

The American Red Cross and Mazda have had a relationship for more than 25 years. In the past, Mazda would make disaster-needs donations to the Red Cross to help support their relief efforts for a particular natural disaster. What does ‘disaster-needs’ mean? Well, when a disaster like the Boulder floods or Super Storm Sandy hit, Mazda makes a donation at that particular moment to help with relief efforts after the event.

With the development of the Mazda Drive for Good program, Mazda’s corporate philanthropic outreach initiative, Mazda joined the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) with a $1 million cash and vehicle donation, making them the first automotive company to join this group of donors. Members of ADGP make a pre-investment to ensure the Red Cross is able to pre-position supplies, secure shelters, maintain emergency vehicles and train volunteers nationwide before a disaster strikes so that the organization is able to immediately respond.

In the process of becoming an ADGP member, Mazda made its largest in-kind vehicle donation in history by providing 18 vehicles to the Red Cross last year (2015). The vehicles are spread throughout the country and are utilized by volunteers to respond to disasters in the community. Mazda is proud and honored to provide safe and reliable transportation for Red Cross volunteers when they need it most. Working together in partnerships like the one between the Red Cross and Mazda only furthers the ability to help more people in less time.

For 2016 Mazda has pledged 16 additional vehicles to serve more areas and more people in need. Maple Shade Mazda and Turnersville Mazda are proud to be part of the pay-it-forward effort.