Toyota stocks schools with book dispensers

Toyota provided vending machines filled with books to 21 elementary schools near its assembly plant in Mississippi.

The automaker's Blue Springs plant partnered with Reading for Education to supply the custom-designed machines, each of which arrived stocked with 176 books, for a total of 3,696. They were accompanied by bags of gold tokens that the schools can give out to deserving students.

The project cost Toyota nearly $140,000, according to the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

"A love for reading and education is a great starting point for students as they prepare for a lifetime of success," Erik Skaggs, president of Toyota Mississippi, said in a statement. "Helping our communities build a solid foundation in youth literacy is a key part of our mission at Toyota."

Skaggs visited Shannon Elementary School in December to deliver the first machine and hand out tokens to five students selected for their good grades and positive behavior. Toyota also donated $2,000 for the school to buy more books to restock its machine.