cause of the economic and automotive downturn, Toyota's sprawling factory in Georgetown has been forced to idle its lines this week, but its employees are anything but idle.
About 125 workers have set aside their high-tech tools in favor of more rudimentary ones, including paintbrushes (no spray jets) and weed whackers and have fanned out to help 17 Kentucky non-profits this week.
"We were thrilled when we got picked to come out here," Kathy Doth said as she and Sue Phelps pruned rosebushes at the University of Kentucky Arboretum on Tuesday.
Throughout the week, employees will help out in a variety of places, including schools near Toyota's plant in Scott County and the Louisville Zoo.
Workers are being paid in full for the volunteer time. When Toyota began periodically idling its lines in December due to lower sales, the company offered employees three options: They could come to work for full pay and train or work on plant improvements; take a vacation day; or take an unpaid day off.
Read the complete story at kentucky.com