Community Updates

Ford Volunteer Corps Deploys Thousands of Employees Into Communities Worldwide During Ford Global Caring Month

Ford Global Caring Month is underway with more than 10,000 Ford Motor Company employees signed up so far to make people’s lives better in 40 countries during September – and registrations are still coming in to the Ford Volunteer Corps.

Ford volunteers in Brazil are building a new kitchen for families at a cancer center for children. In Germany, a pub is being transformed into a new community gathering place with services for residents in an underserved neighborhood. South Africa Ford employees are converting shipping containers into a classroom and daycare, while also establishing a recycling facility to help unemployed young people.

Published 6 years ago | About a 3 minute read

Ford Global Caring Month is the signature annual event of the Ford Volunteer Corps, an opportunity for teams of Ford employees to band together and help meet the urgent needs of people in powerful, impactful ways that strengthen the entire community.

“Ford volunteers are making steady progress toward our goal of a better world for everyone,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Ford and its employees know there is still much more work to do and we are committed to moving forward and improving the quality of life for people in our communities, not just for one month or one year, but in sustainable ways over the long haul.”

Ford volunteers are putting their skills to work with energy and enthusiasm on more than 300 projects across six continents. Ford Fund is contributing $700,000 in grants for nonprofits to purchase the tools and supplies needed to complete many of these global projects. Among the other work being tackled:

Australia - Restoring camp for high-risk children and families to rebuild relationships
China - Harvest fruits at a charity farm and distribute the produce to local people in need
India - Restoring ponds and improving water access for 3,500 households in two villages
Mexico - Install solar dehydrators to preserve produce and build two homes for families
Mozambique - Restore clean water system and remodel bathroom facilities at nursing home
Philippines - Build community water facilities that will serve about 240 families
Thailand - Renovate and make improvements to a school water system
United Kingdom - Improve the grounds and renovate facilities at a hospice center
United States – Clear vacant lots and alleys, clean up blight in residential areas During September, Ford volunteers in the U.S. will concentrate their efforts on neighborhoods. Ford employees will participate in more than 100 volunteer activities across 14 states from Arizona, California and Washington to New York, Ohio and Texas.

Specifically in Detroit, Ford volunteers will join hundreds of others in planting more than 600,000 daffodils on Belle Isle — one for every resident of the city. They will also be taking part in a project that will create safe pathways for students to school in the Regent Park neighborhood, which is not far from the Ford Resource and Engagement Center on Detroit’s east side.

“Healthy neighborhoods offer comfort, security and shared experiences that can make life richer and more enjoyable,” said Todd Nissen, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. “Neighborhoods are the building blocks of stronger communities, where people can find the assistance and the opportunities they need to raise their standard of living.”

The Ford Volunteer Corps is the heart of a global network that enlists more than 30,000 employees annually. Ford Global Caring Month marks the largest concentration of Ford employees performing service work in the community each year, but Ford volunteers are on the job at food banks, care facilities and schools all year long. Since its launch in 2005 by Executive Chairman Bill Ford, the Ford Volunteer Corps has contributed more than 1.5 million hours of community service in 50 countries, representing more than $40 million of in-kind community investments.

The Ford Volunteer Corps is advancing the creative ideas of Ford employees to have a lasting impact in the communities Ford serves. The Bill Ford Better World Challenge annually awards up to $500,000 to support Ford volunteer projects focused on providing better access to clean water and improved sanitation, solutions to mobility challenges and meeting basic needs. Graduates of Ford’s Thirty Under 30 philanthropic leadership program are also putting their training to work guiding other Ford employees and developing transformational projects that compete for grants in the Bill Ford Better World Challenge.