Walser Week of Giving 2026 Recap

April 30th, 2026 by Madeline Storrar

Some weeks you clock in, do the work, and clock out. And then there’s Walser Week of Giving.

This year, our stores and teams stepped out of their everyday roles and into something a whole lot more meaningful. Meals got packed. Houses got supported. Sleeves got rolled up. And every day brought a new partner, a new neighborhood, and a new reason to keep going.

The best part? None of it felt like an obligation. It felt like exactly where we were supposed to be.

Because for us, community isn’t a once-a-year checkbox. It’s the whole point.

Meet the Mission Behind Our Week of Giving.

Power by Purpose. Driven by People.

Walser Week of Giving is an annual tradition where Walser employees step away from their everyday roles to volunteer alongside local organizations. From meal packing and housing support to hands-on community projects, the week is a chance for our entire team to show up, give back, and make a tangible difference in the communities we call home.

A Week Built on Action.

Over seven days, our teams stepped away from their usual roles and showed up ready to do work that looked very different from day to day. And not the kind that happens behind a desk. This effort stretched across the Twin Cities, Wichita, Dallas, Atlanta, and Illinois, with each location bringing its own community and needs into focus.

Each day looked a little different. Some mornings were spent packing snack packs and student meals, others serving food directly in community spaces or assembling care items like hygiene kits and tie-blankets. Teams sorted clothing at thrift stores, built dressers to help individuals transitioning out of homelessness, created floral arrangements for seniors, and supported projects like farm spring cleanup and food shelf stocking. Real impact happening in real time.

Sunday, April 12

Greater Twin Cities United Way

We kicked off Walser Week of Giving with a family, friends, employees, and community volunteer day at Walser Toyota Bloomington in partnership with Greater Twin Cities United Way.

More than 100 employees, family members, friends, and community partners came together to start the week side by side. Throughout the day, teams took part in United Way’s volunteer activities, focusing on hands-on service that supports local families and individuals in need.

Together, we assembled over 1,000 snack packs and created 20 tie blankets, which will be distributed through local organizations serving community members across the region.
Alongside the volunteer work, the dealership space was filled with family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, face painting, caricature drawings, and food trucks, creating an atmosphere where giving back and spending time together naturally came together.

It was a strong start to the week, grounded in community, connection, and shared action.

Learn More About United Way

Monday, April 13

Simpson Housing Services

For the third year in a row, we partnered with Simpson Housing Services, an organization that provides housing, shelter, and supportive services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness, with a focus on long-term stability and dignity.

Our team spent the day serving lunch through their Cook & Connect program, which is designed to bring people together over food while creating space for conversation and connection.

Volunteers prepared and served a hot meal for 40 of the 70 residents on site, with a menu that included soup, garlic bread, salad, and fresh fruit. From the kitchen to the serving line, every part of the meal was made and shared by the volunteer team.

Alongside serving food, team members spent time talking with residents and staff, turning a simple lunch service into an opportunity for presence, connection, and conversation.

Learn More About Simpson Housing Services

IOCP

IOCP serves individuals and families in the northwest metro through food assistance, housing support, education programs, and crisis services. Their Resale Select Thrift Store helps fund many of these programs through donated goods.

Our team spent the day sorting and organizing donated clothing and shoes, helping turn community donations into a more accessible and welcoming shopping experience for customers.

While the work happened behind the scenes, it plays a direct role in supporting the programs IOCP provides to families across the community.

Learn More About IOCP

Tuesday, April 14

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity engages a broad network of supporters and community members to create, preserve, and promote affordable homeownership in the metro area.

Nine volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help rehab a home in Hopkins, spending the day installing drywall, mudding, sanding, and painting. The house still has about six weeks of work ahead before a family can move in, but each task brought it one step closer to becoming a finished home.

Seeing the progress throughout the day made the impact feel real in a very immediate way. Every effort contributed to creating a safe and stable home environment for someone starting a new chapter.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Wednesday, April 15

191 Community Pantry

191 Community Pantry provides food and essential resources to individuals and families facing food insecurity, with an emphasis on accessibility and dignity.

Our team spent the day packing BrainPower in a backpack meals, creating weekend kits filled with nutritious food to help children stay nourished when school meals are not available. These backpacks help reduce food insecurity by providing consistent access to food for kids and families in the community.

Learn More About 191 Community Pantry

Bluebirds & Blooms

Bluebirds & Blooms uses floral arranging as a way to bring encouragement, joy, and emotional support to individuals in care facilities and community programs.

Thirty-two volunteers came together to repurpose gently used blooms donated by the community, carefully sorting and arranging them into bedside bouquets and floral arrangements for care facilities. Each arrangement was built with intention, turning donated flowers into something fresh, meaningful, and ready to brighten someone’s space.

The finished bouquets will be delivered to individuals in care settings, offering small moments of color, care, and connection throughout their day.

Learn More About Bluebirds & Blooms

Thursday, April 16

Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary

Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary is a nonprofit that provides a healing environment through animal interaction, creative expression, and community connection.

Our team spent the day supporting spring cleaning efforts across the sanctuary, helping prepare the space for both animals and visitors. Work included tending gardens, completing daily cleaning chores, and repairing fencing for the goats, along with general upkeep throughout the property.

Along the way, volunteers also had the chance to meet and interact with the animals, adding a personal layer to a day centered on care, maintenance, and creating a welcoming environment.

Learn More About Art, Heart & Hoofbeats Sanctuary

CAPI – Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants

CAPI works to eliminate hunger and poverty in the northwest metro through food access, housing support, and emergency assistance programs. Their food market provides a grocery-style experience for families in need.

Our team supported daily operations inside the food market by stocking shelves, sorting donations, and assisting guests as they shopped for their households.

Learn More About CAPI – Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants

Friday, April 17

Bridging

Bridging helps individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness or crisis situations by providing donated furniture and household essentials to create stable, furnished homes.

For the third year in a row, our team supported Bridging by building dressers that will be placed directly into homes for families starting fresh. Volunteers worked through assembly together, turning individual pieces into something that will soon serve as part of a fully furnished home.

Learn More About Bridging

Walser Auto Campus

Simple Hygiene

The Walser Auto Campus in Wichita partnered with Simply Hygiene to assemble hygiene kits that will be distributed to individuals and families in need. These kits are designed to provide essential personal care items that support health, dignity, and day-to-day stability.

Volunteers worked together to pack and organize supplies into complete kits, ensuring each one was ready for immediate distribution through community organizations.

Bac Ta shares, “It was a very insightful initiative that allowed us to appreciate those necessities that we usually take for granted. To know that our volunteer efforts will directly impact those within our community carries immense significance.”

Learn More About Simple Hygiene

Ace Rent A Car

MATTER

ACE teams assembled snack pack boxes for MATTER, giving employees the opportunity to participate directly from their stores. This made it possible for team members in fast-paced, customer-facing roles to still engage in the Week of Giving in a meaningful way.

The completed kits were then donated to local community organizations, helping provide immediate food support to individuals and families in need.

Learn More About Matter

Why This Week Matters

For many people, Walser is a place to buy or service a vehicle. But the Week of Giving reflects something bigger.

It shows who we are beyond the showroom, when the focus is not on transactions but on time, effort, and presence in our communities. Across every location and activity, our teams showed up as neighbors first, working alongside local organizations to support real needs.

For customers learning about Walser, this is an important part of the picture. It is a reminder that how we show up in the community matters just as much as how we show up in business.

Walser Foundation

The Walser Foundation is the giving and community support organization behind Walser Automotive Group, focused on investing in the communities where employees live and work. Its efforts center around strengthening access to education, workforce development, and programs that help people build more stable and sustainable futures.

Funded through a portion of every vehicle sold and serviced at Walser, the foundation supports local nonprofits and initiatives ranging from job training and scholarships to food access and housing stability. The goal is to help remove barriers and create more opportunities across the communities we serve.

At its core, the Walser Foundation is about making sure our impact goes beyond business transactions. It is a way to turn everyday work into long-term support for the people and places that make it all possible.

Learn More About The Walser Foundation

A Week That Stays With You

Walser Week of Giving moves quickly, but its impact continues long after the final day.

It shows up in the organizations we supported, the work that continues inside those communities, and the perspective our teams bring back into their day-to-day roles.

Most importantly, it reinforces something we see every year. When we invest time, effort, and care into our communities, the impact reaches far beyond a single week.

Posted in Community Partnerships, Walser Automotive Group, Walser Foundation