Just in time for Christmas: Santa Delivers Special "Sleigh" to Forgotten Harvest

New refrigerated truck will help deliver holiday meals

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI - December 22, 2015: Just in time for the holidays, Santa joined Mercedes-Benz Financial Services today to make a special delivery of a new 2016 Freightliner (Class 6) refrigerated truck to Forgotten Harvest at its Oak Park (Mich.) headquarters. This is the sixth vehicle since 2007 that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has sponsored for Forgotten Harvest in support of its mission to rescue fresh food to feed the hungry.

A grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) awarded to Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV) also helped underwrite the cost of the new refrigerated replacement truck. In addition to the truck, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services also made a special donation to help Forgotten Harvest provide an additional 5,000 holiday meals for local families in need.

Santa was joined by: Kirk Mayes, CEO of Forgotten Harvest; Chris Trainor, Senior Manager of Controlling at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and a longtime Forgotten Harvest volunteer; Debbie Swartz, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Office of Environmental Assistance; and Kathy Stott, Executive Director of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV).

"Just like Santa could not deliver gifts without his trusty sleigh, Forgotten Harvest cannot realize its mission of delivering fresh food to the hungry in our local community without a reliable fleet," said Chris Trainor. "Mercedes-Benz Financial Services was honored to work with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and its local partner, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, to check this gift off Forgotten Harvest's wish list during this holiday season."

Kirk Mays added, "Our wish this year was to be able to replace two of our older refrigerated box trucks with clean-burning diesel trucks that would reduce air pollution, while helping us rescue more food. Thanks to Mercedes-Benz Financial Services' long-standing commitment, combined with the MDEQ and SDEV partnership, the holidays will be so much brighter for many families in Southeast Michigan who might otherwise not have enough to eat."

As part of a collaboration to help address air pollution from diesel engines, the State of Michigan MDEQ awarded a "Clean Diesel" grant to SDEV's Clean Diesel Program earlier this year for the purpose of improving air quality by reducing diesel emissions. This grant partially funded improvements to replace two older refrigerated box trucks in Forgotten Harvest's fleet. MDEQ's financial support required at least a 75 percent funding match, leading to a broader collaboration to meet the program's clean air goals. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services provided the matching funds to replace one of Forgotten Harvest's refrigerated box trucks.

The new trucks for Forgotten Harvest's fleet will replace trucks operating primarily in Detroit and in Western Wayne County. The diesel equipment on the new replacement trucks will meet or exceed the current highest EPA emissions standards.