ONYX Automotive’s Grand Slam Against Food Insecurity
Story by Lindsey Hinchcliff-Crotty // Images Provided
In June 2024, ONYX Automotive proudly partnered with the Food Bank for the Heartland for the 17th anniversary of their annual Strike Out Hunger campaign. ONYX was one of over 20 participating local businesses, collectively raising over 400,000 total meals to support the Food Bank for the Heartland’s mission to fight against hunger.
The Food Bank for the Heartland is a vital organization committed to alleviating hunger in Nebraska and Western Iowa. Food insecurity has continued to rise since the pandemic and remains a pressing issue for our community members. By distributing food to pantries, emergency shelters, schools, and other nonprofit partners, they provide critical support to those facing food insecurity.
Recognizing that every dollar donated translates into three meals for those in need, the ONYX team and customers contributed nonperishable food and financial support. ONYX associates and customers raised 2,771 meals and over $800 in donations. This equated to nearly 350 pounds of food! This is a tangible level of impact that the team was proud to contribute to such an incredible cause.
While the focus of the drive was donations, ONYX associates engaged in a friendly competition with the H+H Group’s other local locations. The ONYX team not only won the “best designed” sculpture made from their donations—they exceeded their donation goal by the largest margin among all H+H Group locations! This fun competition fostered team spirit and highlighted the impact of our collective efforts in fighting hunger.
A group of dedicated volunteers led the donation drive at ONYX, including warranty team members Tanya Murphy and John Medlin, who shared their experiences.
“We found this experience very rewarding,” Murphy and Medlin said. “The donation drive gave us a chance to work as a team and build great communication skills. As we were building our sculpture, it was fun throwing ideas around with each other until we landed on our final design. We wanted to incorporate the campaign theme, Strike Out Hunger, into our sculpture, and I think we accomplished that.”
“We are grateful to our friends at ONYX for their participation in Strike Out Hunger and their ongoing partnership,” Joanne Kamppinen, Director of Development at the Food Bank for the Heartland, said.
“This support is more critical than ever, with 1 in 8 individuals—including 1 in 5 children—experiencing food insecurity across the Heartland,” she continued. “For thousands of our neighbors, hope can become increasingly difficult to find. With the dedicated generosity of the communities we serve, we’re able to make their summer, and their future, a bit brighter.”
Together, we demonstrated the power of community and compassion by participating in the Food Bank for the Heartland’s Strike Out Hunger campaign. As we continue to support initiatives like this, we encourage everyone to stay engaged with our Driving Good initiative and join us in future efforts to give back.
In the next issue of ONYX Magazine, I’ll share how we spread holiday cheer throughout Omaha and our surrounding communities. Let’s continue to be a force for good in our community, together!
For more information, visit onyxautomotive.com/driving-good.
