Ford Volunteers Spring into Action for Children and Families

DEARBORN, Mich., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• More than 600 employees in the Ford Volunteer Corps join together with nonprofit partners to support children and families
• Ford Motor Company Fund provides $53,000 in grants to purchase tools and supplies for volunteer projects
• Ford MODEL Teams are at work in more than three dozen locations selected by nonprofit partners as part of a Ford Accelerated Action Day

The Ford Volunteer Corps is on the job all over southeast Michigan on the Ford Accelerated Action Day dedicated to helping children and families. Ford employees also have assembled into MODEL Teams in Arizona, California, South Carolina, Washington and the District of Columbia for a day of community service work.

Hundreds of Ford employees have stepped away from their desks to work side by side with nonprofit partners who have created more than three dozen projects to address urgent needs in their communities.   

MODEL Teams of Ford volunteers are painting shelters, renovating homes and family centers, and building storage facilities. Many of the participating organizations will share more than $53,000 in Ford grants to buy the tools, supplies and materials needed to complete their projects.

"Investing in children and families is investing in the future of our communities," said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "Ford's contribution of time and resources delivers comfort today and hope for tomorrow, laying the foundation for a brighter future for everyone."

Nonprofit partners in southeast Michigan receiving up to $5,000 in grants for today's projects include:

• Advanced Technology Academy, Dearborn – Help students build set for school play
• Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Detroit – Tile floors, construct food storage units
• First Step, Wayne – Create indoor play and counseling areas
• Habitat Huron Valley, Ypsilanti – Renovate kitchen in home
• HAVEN, Pontiac – Assemble personal home safety kits for shelter residents
• Junior Achievement, Detroit – Assist students with personal budget project
• Legal Aid & Defender, Detroit – Ford attorneys will qualify the underserved for food stamps
• Matrix Human Services, Detroit – Package baby shower baskets for program for new mothers
• Penrickton Center, Taylor – Build and adapt toys for blind children
• Salvation Army, Denby Center, Detroit – Paint family residential cottages
• Science Fair of Metro Detroit, Detroit – Set up or judge entries
• St. Leo's Soup Kitchen, Detroit – Prepare and serve food, distribute clothing
• Starfish Family Services, Inkster – Play games, make music and crafts with children
• Vista Maria, Dearborn Heights – Paint interior of residence for girls

Ford's agency partners also report a critical need for diapers and baby formula among low-income families. To help ease this shortage, the Ford Volunteer Corps once again sponsored a diaper and baby formula drive for families in southeast Michigan. Employees at more than a dozen Ford buildings in the Detroit area collected diapers, wipes and formula to distribute to those in need.

Ford volunteers are active in the community throughout the year and around the world. Thousands of Ford employees gather on six continents during Ford Global Week of Caring in September to perform critical community service work in their towns and villages. On Ford Accelerated Action Days, the Ford Volunteer Corps focuses its people power on high-priority projects.

"Ford volunteers are hardworking and enthusiastic as they head out to make a positive difference for our neighbors in need," said Janet Lawson, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. "Our volunteers often find themselves deeply moved by the stories and the people they come to help. It's an uplifting experience for all involved, because the good feeling of community and sharing goes both ways."

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 community life. For more than 60 years, Ford Motor Company Fund has operated 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 25,000 Ford employees and dealers work on projects each year that better their communities in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit www.community.ford.com.

SOURCE Ford Motor Company