Toyota Helping Inner City Youth

Since Toyota is leaving to Texas due to financial reasons, they reached out to Robert Roach, Carson High School’s auto mechanics teacher, to see if he needed any help with the auto shop. He agreed and workers from the company came to inspect the shop.

“Toyota read an article on a car driver magazine and they realized we don’t have a lot of resources. We’re on a $200 budget every year and [have] been threatened to closure for four years because nobody was investing in us. They want to give back to the community and it’s more expensive to ship equipment then to give it away,” Roach said.

Senior Esteban Garcia said he feels the school lacks in supporting the auto mechanics class.

“I think it is important,” Garcia said. “We only receive about $200 yearly and we need all the help we can get to support the auto shop.”

Senior Carlos Roque agreed on the importance.

“It’s not common that a certain company decides to help us by donating us tools and other stuff so yeah it’s pretty honoring for that. This class can benefit from it by receiving new and improved tools and by learning new ways to change an engine or replace a cylinder,” Roque said.

The auto class is an underrated class to the school and hopefully with the recognition of Toyota helping out, the class can expand. It’s not common for a huge company to help out such a small auto mechanics class, but Roach and his fellow students greatly appreciate everything they’re doing for the class.