Toyota of Tampa Bay

 
TAMPA, FL. (May 24, 2010) - A U.S. Navy  veteran who ended up homeless will soon be on the road to success in a newly refurbished vehicle that will secure his drive to work, thanks to a partnership between Wheels of Success, State Farm Auto Insurance, Toyota of Tampa Bay, and Operation Homefront Florida. Representatives from the four organizations will hand over the keys to the grateful recipient, Cassandre P., at 10 a.m. (EST) on Friday, May 28, at Toyota of Tampa Bay, located at 1101 East Fletcher Ave. State Farm Auto Insurance donated the 2003 Toyota Corolla as a salvage vehicle, and Toyota of Tampa Bay contributed repairs/refurbishing to get it looking and riding like new.

"On the weekend of our nation's remembrance of veterans who have fallen, it will be rewarding to award a vehicle through our Vehicle for Veterans program to an active duty member of our military in collaboration with our two agencies and two auto partners who have made this possible," said Susan Jacobs, whose Wheels of Success Tampa Bay grassroots organization helps working people continue working through donated vehicles and funds donated for repairs.

Cassandre is a U.S. Air Force Reservist that has been re-activated currently serving at MacDill Air Force Base after being relocated to the Tampa Bay Area and is attending U.S.F. as a senior in the Political Science program. Cassandre has struggled with transportation for over 5 months spending almost her entire pay on renting vehicles. She was referred through Operation Homefront Florida - a new partner in the expansion of our Vehicles for Veterans program in 2010.

State Farm insures more cars than any other insurer in the U.S., and is the leading insurer of watercraft and also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and more than 67,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - almost 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 34 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

Toyota of Tampa Bay offers the latest selection of New Toyota Cars, Trucks, SUVs and Used Toyota Cars, Trucks, and SUVs. The dealership and on-site repair and body shops are conveniently located just minutes away for Tampa Bay customers looking for a Toyota dealer with a reputation that is second-to-none for providing outstanding customer service. Loyal customers travel from Trinity, Spring Hill, Hudson, New Port Richey and Crystal River to experience world-class service.

Wheels of Success (www.wheelsofsuccess.org) is located at Family Justice Center, 9309 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, FL. Incorporated in 2003 to help families obtain or continue work by delivering reliable transportation solutions, WOS is Tampa Bay's only 501(c)3 nonprofit organization providing a full range of transportation solutions including vehicle replacement, car repair, licensing, car payment and down payment assistance to low and moderate income working families. Visit our web site to learn more and/or make a donation. Call 813/490-9443 to make a donation specifically for this program dedicated to providing reliable transportation to U.S. military veterans in Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas counties.