NTN Bearing Corporation of America is pleased to share the story of a recent Community Spirit & Engagement Event at Oakland HOPE in Pontiac, MI.  On Tuesday, June 25, a group of eleven NTN employees, based out of the NTN Automotive Center (NAC) in Farmington Hills, MI, volunteered to spend the day at the food pantry assisting local families in need. 

NTN’s NAC volunteers started the day with a tour of Oakland HOPE’s Thrift Store and Food Pantry, where they learned about the needs of non-profit organizations like Oakland HOPE, that rely on donations from individuals and organizations to serve their community. Bulk food donations are not enough to meet the needs of underfunded and under-resourced organizations like Oakland HOPE, so they use monetary donations and sales from their thrift store to purchase 70 percent of the food they distribute daily.

Next, the volunteers split into two groups, with some assisting families with shopping for food, and the others loading boxes of food into vehicles. The food available is based on what the pantry has on any given day, so volunteers did their best to match up the preferences of those in need to what was available. At the end of the day, the volunteers were left satisfied knowing they were able to help so many people by picking, packing and delivering 216 boxes of food by working as a team.

“We are proud of this group who volunteered to help those in need by spending the day at Oakland HOPE,” said Paul Tervo, vice president, automotive OE. “As part of this volunteer group myself, I can say it was an impactful day and a good reminder of the importance of serving those in need. The primary goal of our NTN Community Spirit & Engagement Program is to have a positive impact on our community, and I can’t think of a better use of our time than to help feed the less fortunate.”

Hunger in the United States and in Oakland County, MI is a very real issue. According to the USDA, in 2022, 12.8 percent of U.S. households (including 1 in 5 children) were food insecure at least some of the year, meaning they had difficulty providing enough food because of a lack of resources. Oakland County has some of the wealthiest zip codes in Michigan and the US, yet it also has many citizens who struggle to pay rent and other bills with enough money left over to buy food.

NTN’s new Community Spirit & Engagement Program was launched in January 2023, with the purpose of managing the company in a responsible and ethical manner and making a positive impact on the communities where we operate. The goals of the program include maintaining a community involvement program that contributes time and resources to charitable organizations, encouraging employees to have an active role within the local community, making positive contributions to the community, and building partnerships with other groups and organizations.

Oakland HOPE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, that provides grocery items, free of charge, to thousands of households in the Oakland County community. Residents can visit Oakland HOPE as often as once per week for groceries. They also provide Benefits Assistance for those that qualify for public social services. Oakland HOPE’s thrift store accepts donations of clothing and other household items which are resold to generate funds to support their food pantry. Their food pantry accepts donations of food items, pet food, and monetary donations to help fulfill their mission.

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