Amid the constant change of the industry, there are a few things that remain constant at All States Transport.
One thing that has always been important to the company is maintaining a sense of family within the walls of their trucking company based in Springfield, Massachusetts which employs 20 people. The company managed to continue this family atmosphere even as they expanded to another office in Miami with 2 additional team members.
Another important constant here is the company’s commitment to giving back to children through the annual Toy for Joy campaign.
The drive is now in its 100th year, and its longevity helps donors like All States Transport have full trust that their donation dollars are going to a good cause and brightening the holidays for children in need.
This year, the firm donated a generous $7,500 to the annual campaign. “This [ability to contribute] is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” said owner William “Billy” Kingston.
The entire team is part of an All States annual contribution, which has more than tripled in the last few years. “It’s the AST family. It’s just what we are,” he said.
“Bill Kingston reached out several weeks before we even launched this year’s campaign to let us know his team would be remembering Toy for Joy again this year,” said Cynthia Simison, executive editor of The Republican. “Little did we know there would be a gift this significant. All States and the Kingston family truly wowed our Toy for Joy team with their generosity.”
According to Simison, All States is among one of many organizations in the region that have established long-standing support of Toy for Joy. “With 100 years of history, I think people know they can trust Toy for Joy to ensure their contributions reach families in need,” she said.
“The phrase about the importance of giving back may seem overused, but it’s so critical,” said Kingston. “That’s especially true, given what people have gone through in the past three years — a pandemic, uncertainty, inflation, political issues and the pressure people are under constantly. Who pays for it? Often, it’s the children, who have had nothing to do with it.”
“We are so pleased to be able to contribute and support the children in our region,” he said.
This year is a historic one for the Toy for Joy campaign, marking its 1000th year of providing toys and books to thousands of children in Western Massachusetts through the generosity of the region’s residents, school children, civic groups, businesses, and other individuals and organizations.
That campaign goal this year is to reach $150,000 by Christmas Eve.
Toy for Joy is a collaborative effort by the Salvation Army with The Republican, El Pueblo Latino and MassLive, along with media partners at Reminders Publishing and The Westfield News. Salvation Army units in Springfield, Holyoke and Greenfield distribute toys and books to families in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties. Toy for Joy serves children age 16 and younger.
