Ford Global Week of Caring - Five Years of Reaching Out and Making a World of Difference

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ --

• The Ford Volunteer Corps goes to work in communities around the world during the 5th annual Ford Global Week of Caring.  

• Thousands of Ford volunteers in more than 25 countries are coming together to ease pressing needs in their local towns and villages from September 4-11, including dozens of projects with community partners in 15 states in the U.S.  

• Ford Global Week of Caring has grown from about 2,800 employee volunteers in its first year to an expected total of more than four times that number this year.

The Ford Volunteer Corps is making a world of difference during the 5th annual Ford Global Week of Caring from September 4-11.

More than 8,000 Ford employee and retiree volunteers are registered for projects in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Thousands more are expected to join the effort.  

In the United States, community building is this year's theme with projects that address shelter and housing issues.  Around the world, Ford volunteers are working to create a better world by feeding the hungry, renovating schools, repairing shelters, protecting critical water resources and planting trees.

In all, Ford volunteers are tackling more than 150 projects during this one special week of community service, including:

• More than 1,000 volunteers in India will perform community service at libraries and schools
• Hunger relief and home building are among more than a dozen projects in Argentina and Brazil
• Painting a school for disabled children and landscaping a mental health facility in the U.K.
• Putting up portable buildings to aid disadvantaged families in Australia
• Working at nature reserves and schools in South Africa; build a drinking water well in Ghana
• Cleaning beaches, helping build libraries and conducting driver safety classes in China.

"Ford's legacy of caring goes back to the company's founding more than 100 years ago and it is  gratifying to see this generation of employees embrace that history with their eyes on the future," said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "We are One Ford in any language, and proud of our contributions to creating a better world."

"Ford employees are dedicated to building vehicles that meet the needs of our customers, and they bring that same commitment and energy to helping people in the communities where they live and work," said Janet Lawson, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. "We are fortunate to have the resources and the people to make a world of difference."  

Since 2005, the Ford Volunteer Corps has been the face of Ford in communities around the globe and throughout the year.  Each year more than 20,000 Ford employees and retirees participate as part of Ford Model Teams that support community projects.  

About Ford Motor Company and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is focused on building community through partnerships that promote education, driving safety and quality of life in communities where Ford operates. Established in 1949, and made possible by funding from Ford Motor Company, the Fund's programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Ford Driving Skills for Life, a

teen-focused safe driving initiative. Through the Ford Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.

About Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F)

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company