Hyundai Helps
Hyundai donation to benefit Thrive Food Pantry
Representatives from Hyundai Motor America visited Holyoke Community College July 9 to deliver a $5,000 check to benefit the college’s food pantry.
This is the fifth consecutive year Hyundai Motor America has donated to the HCC food pantry, which is part of the college’s Thrive Center, bringing the total value of their donations up to $37,000.
“We came all the way here to give you some great news,” said Brandon Ramirez, director of corporate social responsibility and external relations at Hyundai Motor America, which is based in Fountain Valley, California. “At Hyundai, we have a corporate social responsibility initiative called Hyundai Hope, where we focus on health, safety, and food insecurity, but the whole umbrella, or the company’s global vision, is progress for humanity. And what that means is, not only do we develop high quality, safe vehicles, we also give back to the community.”
The gifts from Hyundai are in addition to regular donations made to Thrive by auto dealer Gary Rome, owner of Gary Rome Hyundai in Holyoke. Rome is a member of the HCC Foundation Board of Directors, and his efforts on behalf of HCC intitially brought the Thrive Center and Food Pantry to the attention of the Hyundai corporate offices in California.
Rome accompanied Hyundai officials to the Thrive Center for the check presentation.
Elizabeth Eastman, food pantry manager, said donations from community groups have enabled Thrive to increase the number of people the program feeds.
“Without the support that we get from Gary Rome and Hyundai, and our partnerships with Stop and Shop and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, we could not give out the amount of food that we do.”
The Thrive Center manages the college’s food pantry and provides services, such as food and housing assistance, that help address students’ basic needs.
Eastman told the assembled crowd that the pantry had delivered more than 9,000 pounds of food to student and their families during the last fiscal year. Through May 2025, the food pantry handled 459 requests, serving 259 students and their families, for a total of 651 people.
“Up through November of last year,” Eastman said, “we were really trying to support students, which is important, but if those students have family at home that they’re trying to support, that they’re trying to feed, feeding the student is not enough, because if you don’t have enough food to feed your kids, you can’t stay in school. You need to go get a job or get more jobs, and they don’t have time.”
Eastman said the food pantry is now capable of handling more request since the Thrive Center moved to a much larger space on the second floor of the HCC Kittredge Center in September 2024.
“So we are now trying to serve the entire family,” Eastman said. “For households that are a little bigger, we give them a little bit more food. And we also have personal care items, such as diapers and formula and hygiene products that are available for families as well.”
The Thrive Center also recently installed electronically operated refrigerated lockers in the hallway outside the food pantry, so students can retrieve items at their convenience.
“When someone places an order, we can now pack it with perishable items,” said Eastman. “We’re trying to do more fresh produce and fresh dairy, so that it’s not just cans. We can pack all that and put it in a locker and then send them a code so they can pick it up at the end of the day, after their classes are done, or in the evening, because not all students are on campus during the day.”
PHOTO: Representatives from Hyundai Motor America present a $5,000 ceremonial check to HCC to benefit thei Thrive Food Pantry.
