Ford Volunteers, Donations Help Children & Families Meet Basic Needs

Ford Volunteers, Donations Help Children & Families Meet Basic Needs Text-to-Give, employee collections offer more opportunities to Go Further

A Ford Accelerated Action Day, employee Diaper & Formula Drive and a $100,000 donation from Ford Motor Company Fund have all put the needs of children and families front and center.

The Ford Fund donation to Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit went to purchase enough formula to feed 7,000 infants for a month. Ford employees added hundreds of additional pounds of formula and more than 11,000 diapers collected during the annual Ford Diaper & Formula Drive.

Ford volunteers – members of Ford’s first class of Thirty Under 30 future philanthropists – loaded the cases of baby formula and diapers onto Ford Mobile Food Pantries for delivery to nonprofits and the families they serve.

“This is another example of how Ford is about more than just writing checks,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “We mobilized our employees and used some of the vehicles we have donated to our nonprofit partners.”

“It says a lot about a company that really takes the time to take care of their community,” said Jennyfer Darling, Ford IT and a member of Thirty Under 30. “Volunteering is very important to me and I’m hoping to take my volunteer skills to another level.”

With more than 200,000 children in Southeast Michigan – nearly 20 percent of the area’s kids – not knowing where their next meal will come from, additional support is always welcome. A text- to-give option for Ford employees and the public has been set up to donate money to Gleaners for the purchase of more formula.

To contribute any amount by credit or debit card to the Ford Baby Formula Drive, text FORD to 41444 and follow link.

“I’m so grateful to Ford and its employees for launching this tremendous effort to help struggling families with young children,” said Gerry Brisson, president, Gleaners Community Food Bank. “With these very essential needs covered, parents can meet their children’s other needs – like providing lots of love and giving them a better opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.”

Ford’s Diaper & Formula Drive was organized by Ford Volunteer Corps as part of last week’s Accelerated Action Day to help children and families. More than 550 Ford volunteers in five states renovated care centers, painted shelters, sorted food and packed meals at food pantries.

Many of the nonprofits also received grants from Ford Fund to buy paint, tools and other supplies to complete the day’s projects. “We have three different groups from Ford working together to help the community,” said Beth Armstrong, Ford Vehicle Energy Management and a volunteer creating education kits at Arts & Scraps. “We love it. It’s great to be part of a day like today.”

“It gives us a sense of community,” said Franco Leonardi, technical expert, Electric Machine Drive Systems and a volunteer painter at The Children’s Center. “It’s one of the great things Ford does, encouraging employees to participate. It’s something I really cherish and it has become a tradition.”

The Ford Volunteer Corps is active in local communities throughout the year and around the world. The next Ford Accelerated Action Day is June 9 when Ford employees will step outside to tackle projects focused on the environment. In September thousands of Ford employees will participate in community service projects on six continents during Ford Global Caring Month.

“Ford employees are the heart and soul of our company,” added Vella.

To view more Ford Volunteer Corps photos visit www.volunteer.ford.com/ .