500 Pairs Of Shoes, Socks Donated To Students Through Community Partnership

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Lots of important local drives pop up around the holidays, but once the calendar flips to the new year, there's often a pause in seasonal fundraisers and helping hands. Jones Junction's season of giving extends past the past holidays and into the upcoming year.

“For generations, Jones Junction has been part of this community, and with that comes a responsibility to give back in meaningful ways,” said Danny Jones, CEO of Jones Junction. “Supporting local organizations that care for kids, families and neighbors isn’t an initiative for us—it’s simply part of who we are.”

On Jan. 21, Bel Air Subaru, part of Jones Junction, and The Y in Central Maryland teamed up with Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that provides brand-new coats, shoes and socks to children in need and provides more than 500 brand-new pairs of shoes and socks to students through a hands-on shopping experience designed to help kids feel comfortable, confident and ready to learn.

“With more than 650 employees who live and work here, our business is directly connected to this community every single day. The strength of local families, schools and nonprofit organizations affects our team and our customers in real ways. Supporting those efforts isn’t about recognition – it’s a practical investment in the community that supports our workforce and allows local businesses like ours to continue to grow," Bryan Kilby, president of Jones Junction Automotive Group, told Patch.

“Our employees take pride in working for a company that reinvests in the community. When our community is strong, our business is strong—and that’s been true for more than 109 years. We stand alongside the local nonprofits and partners who do the important work of supporting kids, families, and neighbors across Harford County and beyond," Kilby added.

Before school starts, Jones Toyota has served as a community drop-off site for the Harford County Education Foundation's Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive for the past 10 years. Jones also helped raise more than $26,000 in support of Cancer LifeNet at the Kaufman Cancer Center, part of UM Upper Chesapeake Health.

Jones employees donated 66 pairs of pajamas to kiddos through the Harford Family House Pajama Drive and Jones Junction contributed $25,000 to support in the development of the future Hope Lodge Baltimore, providing free lodging to cancer patients and caregivers traveling long distances for treatment.

Customers of Jones, as well as employees, have donated truckloads of toys to the Harford County Sheriff's Office's annual toy drive for the past 20 years, while Jones contributed $10,000 to the Empty Stocking Fund of Harford County, an initiative that provides toys, food and clothing for children and seniors during the holiday season.

Founded in 1917, Jones Junction is a family-owned and operated automotive group serving Harford County and the surrounding Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware communities for more than a century.