Tocci is embarking on a new giving effort thanks to the leadership of Lila Tocci, Director of Company Life + Charitable Giving.

Through Faith Baptist Church’s Syrian Food Aid Project, Tocci Building companies have committed to a donation of $400/month for six months to feed FIVE families. I first heard about the project when Lila presented it at the last staff meeting and I was blown away.  I spend around $400/month on food for myself and my dog. That amount could feed FIVE Syrian refugee families! I was immediately eager to learn more.

Background Information:

Since the start of the conflict in Syria three years ago, Syrian refugees have been flooding into the neighboring country of Lebanon at an overwhelming rate. The UNHCR reports that there are currently over 1 million Syrian families registered and awaiting registration with the UN, while Lebanese officials estimate that the actual number of Syrian refugees is closer to 1.3 million. For a country of approximately 4.5 million prior to the conflict, that means that nearly a quarter of the country’s residents are Syrian refugees. Through a partnership with LSESD, Faith Baptist Church first launched its food aid response project for Syrian refugees in February 2013. Since that time, the project has increased from eight to 70 families, with 50 families currently on the waiting list.  The focus of Faith Baptist’s Food Aid Response is Syrian refugee families who have arrived from Syria in the past year and are currently residing in the region of Mansourieh.

Tocci’s Plan

Tocci employees always get to enjoy a breakfast gathering in the café every Friday morning. This is a great time for the employees to get together and catch up with colleagues they might not typically encounter in their day-to-day activities. There is now a donation box located in the café with the assumption that anyone who participates in the breakfast can donate $2 to the cause (totaling about $50/week). Doing the math, that only adds up to $200/month and that’s where Tocci as a company has agreed to really step up and match the donations to reach our goal of $400/month. Tocci employees get to enjoy breakfast together on Fridays, and money is raised to provide five Syrian refugee families with food – a winning situation all around.

For more information on the First Baptist Church’s Syrian Food Aid Project, or if you are interested in getting involved, please contact Lila Tocci at ltocci@tocci.com.