Ford is seemingly towards the top of the industry in innovations and products, but they’re also leading car brands in community efforts. The brand is always looking for ways to give back to the community, and they’ve put forth a whole lot of effort in the past year to give back to impoverished areas of the world. These efforts don’t only include giant monetary grants; rather, they also include notable volunteer efforts.
Below, we’ve explored several ways that the brand continues to give back to the community. While this might not necessarily influence your desire to visit a Cincinnati Ford dealer, it will at least give you a newfound respect for the company and their humanitarian efforts…
Disaster Relief
Puerto Rico has been devastated by hurricanes over the past few years, and Ford is looking to improve the livelihood of millions of residents. Recently, the brand announced that they’ll be investing more than $1.2MM into “expanded disaster relief efforts” via their Ford Motor Company Fund. Specifically, this money will go towards necessary supplies and services that will help the island nation get back on their feet.
“This effort is at the heart of Ford Fund’s mission to provide opportunities and access for people in need,” said Jim Vella, the president of Ford Motor Company Fund. “Centro de Movilidad Social allows us to expand our ongoing efforts to help rebuild the lives of thousands of Puerto Ricans following Hurricane Maria.”
The multi-year program is focused on assisting families by providing them with food, water, clothing, and any other necessary items they may require. The brand is also donating a trio of disaster-response vehicles, including a pair of cargo vans. Thanks to this offering, the island will be better prepared to serve various communities when another disaster hits. The brand also offered a Ford College Community Challenge for those younger Puerto Rico residents, and the winners received education grants that ranged anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000.
“Puerto Rico has always been important for Ford and we stand committed to continue helping local communities with resources, services, and access to basic needs,” said Gabriel López, the president and CEO of Ford Mexico. “After bringing direct relief to communities with Ruta Solidaria Ford, our social mobility centers will be part of our contribution toward a long-term recovery for the Island”.
Employee Outreach
Continuing off the former example, it isn’t just the brand that’s giving back to these ravished communities. Rather, Ford’s employees are also playing a part in providing better lives to citizens around the globe. In 2017 alone, the Ford Volunteer Corps has been responsible for more than 36,000 volunteering opportunities in more than 1,700 unique projects around the world. This is a considerable uptick over previous years, and this allowed the brand to focus on more individual projects, including the installation of clean water systems and the construction of new homes. Ultimately, the brand’s employees put more than 237,000 hours into these volunteer efforts, only confirming how the company has looked to give back to the community.
“Our employees are the heart and soul of this company,” said Bill Ford, the executive chairman pf Ford Motor Company. “Their energy, creativity, and dedication to making people’s lives better is what makes Ford truly special.”
Specifically, the company has looked to capitalize on their engineering prowess by providing these down-on-their-luck communities with positive contributions. For instance, they’ve helped out children who have physical ailments, and they’ve also reached out to older folks who are suffering from dementia. Of course, these volunteers have also played a major role in disaster relief, as they’ve personally donated more than $500,000 to improving the lives of these individuals around the world.
“Ford’s younger generation of employees will be a powerful force for good with their creative thinking and unique insights that can elevate and complement traditional philanthropy,” said Vella. “They want to help us better serve people in our communities and we are helping to equip them with the tools and resources to make it happen.”
Improved Sanitation
Recently, the brand donated more than $200,000 to help a pair of initiatives that are looking to improve sanitation across both India and Mexico. The donation was a part of the brand’s Bill Ford Better World Challenge, and it’s intended to get employee volunteers to help improve the lives of impoverished areas around the world.
“I am extremely proud of the work our employees are doing to bring about positive change around the world,” said Ford. “Access to basic necessities is not something that can be taken for granted in many communities, and these projects will have an immediate and positive impact on the quality of life for so many people.”
Specifically, the company has helped install more than 100 toilets in these various towns, and they’ve also instituted educational programs to help the children of these areas. At the end of the day, Ford is focused on improving the lives of individuals around the world, and they’re convinced that projects like these will help in this endeavor. At the end of the day, even if they improve the lifestyles of one individual family, it’s a success. Of course, thanks to these various projects, the company is bettering the lives of hundreds of individuals in these specific areas.
“In these rural villages, open defecation is the normal practice,” said Jennifer Leonard, a Ford brake engineer. “This practice proliferates disease, increases child mortality rates, and increases a woman’s chance of being attacked. Our hope with this program is to work to improve health conditions while offering people privacy, dignity, and safety.”
