Toyota Awards Grants to Eight Los Angeles Area Community Organizations

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 16 -- Eight Los Angeles area nonprofit organizations will continue to enrich the community through grants totaling $40,000 from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s Corporate Contributions Committee (CCC).

"We are thrilled to form a new partnership with Toyota. The funds will help support our Discovering Music program which takes classical music to the Latino communities in Los Angeles," said Sonia Marie de Leon de Vega, director of the Santa Cecilia Orchestra. "The grant from Toyota will fully pay for the continuation of our two-year program in three schools in the Wilmington/San Pedro area."

The purpose of the CCC is to involve employees in Toyota's philanthropic giving in the local community. Eleven employees from various Toyota departments and divisions meet bi-monthly to review and evaluate local funding proposals. Each member conducts a site visit and is asked to make a presentation on the merits of the program.

   The following organizations each received a $5,000 grant in August:

   The Children's Dental Center (Inglewood), which provides dental
   services and educational programs for children, will use its grant
   to continue assisting children without access to dental care.

   The Foodbank of Southern California (Long Beach), a nonprofit
   organization that provides food to impoverished children, families
   and seniors, will use Toyota's funds for its Food Distribution Program.

   The Inglewood Family YMCA (Inglewood) will receive funding for programs
   that enrich the mental, physical and social well-being of families in the
   community.

   The Psychological Trauma Center (Los Angeles), whose Share and Care
   Program provides mental health services to children, will continue
   identifying and treating children who are at risk emotionally and
   academically as a result of violent or traumatic experiences.

   The Santa Cecilia Opera and Orchestra Association (Los Angeles) will
   use its $5,000 grant to expose elementary school children to music
   through its Discovering Music outreach program.

   The Trust for Public Land (Los Angeles) protects land for human
   enjoyment and will use Toyota's grant to support its Los Angeles Parks
   for People program.

   The Union Rescue Mission (Los Angeles), the oldest and largest homeless
   shelter in Los Angeles, will maintain its after-school program for
   at-risk children.

   The Western Museum of Flight (Hawthorne), which uses the allure of flight
   and aviation to develop reading skills, will receive funding for its Kids
   Love Science Program.

Toyota believes in giving back to communities in which it conducts business. By providing financial resources and encouraging employee volunteerism, Toyota has become a partner in enhancing communities nationwide. In 2002, Toyota U.S.A. contributed nearly $20 million to U.S. philanthropic programs.

Headquartered in Torrance, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., is the sales, marketing, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota in the United States. The company's main Web site is http://www.toyota.com/ .

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