Trucking company’s annual charity campaign surpasses $1 million in total donations

An annual charity drive hosted by one trucking company has surpassed a milestone.

This year, CFI’s Truckloads of Treasures holiday giving campaign raised $41,000. With those funds, the total contributions raised have eclipsed $1 million since the program’s inception in 1993.

The money raised all comes from contributions made by CFI’s employees. Now in its 29th year, the Joplin, Mo.-based trucking company says the annual drive helps to “raise funds that will support the critical needs of local charities and community service organizations in cities where CFI employees live and work across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.”

Given the current economic climate, finding extra dollars for charity can be a tall task. Greg Orr, president of CFI, commended his staff for their continued generosity.

“We live in extraordinary times, and I could not be prouder of our associates and their determination,” Orr said in a statement. “With the geopolitical stress and demands of our day-to-day lives, it would be easy to pause on charity. Instead, our associates continued to think of others in need first and gave from the heart.”

Money raised by the campaign goes to charities nominated by CFI associates. Those funds benefit underserved families, children and the elderly during the month of December, both locally and abroad. Eight charities based in Joplin, Mo. received contributions from Truckloads of Treasures this year.

One of those recipients was the Boys & Girls Club. Rhonda Gorham, executive director for the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri, said the funds they received from CFI employees are greatly appreciated.

“Donations, especially at this time of the year, the end of the year, are very important for our organization,” Gorham told the Joplin Globe. “It doesn’t matter how small or how large; it all adds up. We serve over 600 kids a day, and it takes a lot to feed them and run programs. We keep our membership fees down very low, so everything we get is going back to support the kids.”

In addition to the work done locally, 17 charities across North America also benefitted from funds raised by the campaign.

“This has been an eventful year for CFI and the entire trucking industry with demands on our people and our resources like never before,” Orr said in a statement. “Yet even with these challenges, we brought out the same focus, perseverance, and grit to come together in support of our communities.” LL