At Subaru of America, Inc., we're dedicated to supporting and improving the communities in which we live and work. That's why we approach our community investments with the same drive and energy as we do all of our core business functions. Our employees generously donate their time and talent to support these projects and organizations – nearly 5,100 hours over the past two years – because we know it takes more than just money to create real change. We're all proud to help make our neighborhoods socially healthy places to live, work and play, and to share our vision and passion with our community partners. Below are just a few samples of our community partnerships and investments.
In 2009, the first Share the Love Garden was established on the grounds of the Subaru corporate headquarters in Cherry Hill, NJ. Since then, we've added and expanded these gardens at three corporate locations in Cherry Hill, NJ, Westampton, NJ, and Denver, CO. During the 2011 season, these Subaru-employee driven gardens produced over 1,200 pounds of fresh produce that was donated to help combat hunger through our partners at the Food Bank of South Jersey in Pennsauken, NJ, New Vision Homeless Day Centers in Camden, NJ, Family Services Food Pantry in Westampton, NJ, and MetroCaring in Denver, CO.
We recently installed a rain garden – a drainage system that filters rainwater and runoff to remove pollutants before they flow into surrounding rivers and streams – at our corporate headquarters in Cherry Hill, NJ. The Cooper River runs along the edge of our property, so we were eager to partner with the Camden County Soil Conservation District and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Rutgers University, to be one of the first corporations in New Jersey to retrofit such a system. A second rain garden is in the works.
Across the country, Subaru employees participate in the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, helping organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House of Southern NJ in Camden, NJ, Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, CO, Sweetwater Camp in Austell, GA, Food Bank of South Jersey in Pennsauken, NJ, Loaves & Fishes Ambleside in Gresham, OR, and MANNA in Philadelphia, PA, among others. Team Subaru efforts continue at these great organizations beyond the Day of Service too, as employees continue to volunteer through a two-week program we call, Subaru Legacy Days.
Every July, we hold a corporate-wide Drive Out Hunger food drive at Subaru of America locations across the country. Our collective donation for 2011 was more than 34,000 pounds, and through our efforts over the last four years, we've donated more than 125,000 pounds – 62 tons of food. It's a much-anticipated event at all Subaru locations and our entire team is proud to help combat hunger in communities across the country.