12,000 Ford Volunteers Tackle 200 Community Projects During One Global Week of Caring

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• The Ford Volunteer Corps will be on the job during the sixth annual Ford Global Week of Caring which runs through September 18

• More than 12,000 Ford volunteers are tackling more than 200 projects in dozens of countries

• Ford employees join with retirees and Ford dealers to build a better world through projects that aid the young, elderly and underserved in communities worldwide

More than 12,000 members of the Ford Volunteer Corps with hammers, hoes and helping hands are tackling more than 200 community projects on six continents as part of the 2011 Ford Global Week of Caring.  For the sixth straight year, Ford employees and retirees are joining together with employees of Ford dealerships to make a world of difference during this annual event which in 2011 runs through September 18. The number of volunteers has grown from 1,200 to more than 12,000 during the past six years.  

Projects in dozens of countries from Europe and Asia to Africa and the Americas include:

• Renovating schools, planting trees and cleaning up parks by 750 employees in South Africa
• Cleaning public areas, collecting food and school supplies by 100 employees in Philippines
• Setting up a computer lab, sponsoring a school outing and cleaning parks by 200 employees in China
• Planting 1,500 tropical trees along roadway by 230 employees  in Cambodia
• Renovating a school and donating equipment by 200 employees in Thailand
• Collecting clothes and sanitary supplies for impoverished girls by 100 employees in Kenya
• Mentoring teens, repairing playgrounds and helping elderly by 100 employees in Germany
• Cleaning beaches and forests, and repairing social institutions by 120 employees in Spain
• Restoring trails for wheelchair access in Belgium
• Providing meals, clothing and organizing medical check ups for orphans in India
• Building houses in El Salvador and Honduras
• Painting a school and providing school supplies in Trinidad and Tobago
• Collecting food and toiletries, and repairing nursery and social service offices in Brazil
• Installing playground equipment, distributing food, repairing schools and restoring environmentally-sensitive areas by more than a thousand Ford employees in the U.S.

"As America and the world reflect on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Ford and its employees are working together to realize our vision of a better world," said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "Ford volunteers are helping local communities provide the necessary services to bring comfort and relief to people in need."

As part of Ford Global Week of Caring 2011, select non-profit agencies in the U.S. will share $70,000 in grants as part of a focused effort to address shelter and housing needs.  

About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community partners to advance driving safety, education and American heritage and community life. The Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 60 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F). The award-winning Ford Driving Skills for Life program teaches new drivers through a variety of hands-on and interactive methods. Innovation in education is encouraged through national programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, more than 27,000 Ford employees and retirees each year work on projects that better their communities in dozens of countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company