FORD VOLUNTEER CORPS HELPS FEED THE HUNGRY DURING SEASON OF GIVING AND SHARING
Next Up - Children and Families
(DEARBORN, December 4, 2009) – Food is one of the basic necessities of life. Yet, at any given time there are 600,000 to 700,000 people who don't know where their next meal is coming from…and that's just in southeast Michigan. In response to this urgent need, more than 500 Ford employee and retiree volunteers went to work in local shelters, missions and food distribution centers on a Ford Accelerated Action Day dedicated to feeding the hungry.
“Hunger is a painful reality for far too many people who go to bed hungry each night in our local communities,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. "Giving of our time and sharing our resources are two ways Ford and its volunteers can help ease that pain and take another step toward our goal of making the world a better place."
MODEL Teams of Ford volunteers stocked shelves, packed meals and served food to mark the Ford Volunteer Corps season of Giving and Sharing.
"It's tremendous encouragement," said Bruce Calderwood, director of operations, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. "It gives you an emotional lift knowing there are other people who care about what you're doing. To know they are here is a tremendous blessing for us."
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries was one of a dozen agencies that received Ford mini-grants of up to $5,000 to buy food and the supplies needed to complete their projects. Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Gleaners Community Food Bank and St. Vincent DePaul were among the other organizations participating in the Ford volunteer effort.
“Feeding hungry families is one of the most important things we can do to ease suffering and restore hope during the holiday season,” said Janet Lawson, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. “And we won't stop when the calendar changes. We will continue Ford's tradition of caring throughout the year."
"It's very rewarding to help folks out," said Mike Scheuer, engineer, Powertrain. "Ford set up a real neat web site where you can go to volunteer in many different areas. They make it very convenient to volunteer."
At Focus: Hope, dozens of Ford employees turned a Detroit warehouse into a food box assembly line. The boxes were stacked on pallets and prepared for distribution to people and families in need. At Cass Community Social Services, one group of Ford volunteers prepared and served lunch to the homeless and residents with disabilities, while another baked holiday cookies to bring a smile to faces that have seen more than their share of hardship.
"It feels very good knowing you're doing something to help someone else," said Latoria Williams, prototype ppm build and material analyst, PU/Commercial Trucks. "It makes you proud to be a part of Ford, a company that gives back."
"It really puts things into perspective," said Cathy Sklarczyk, coordinator, Rental Programs. "It's a win-win for the company and the employees, and this time of year makes it even more important."
The benefits of Ford's community service activities are clear for the company's nonprofit agency partners and the people they serve. The benefits of membership in the Ford Volunteer Corps also extend back to the workplace with a renewed sense of teamwork among employee volunteers.
"It leads to more productivity and a morale boost back at the office," said Kelvin Squires, executive engineer, NA Engine and Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering. "People are our most valuable resource and it comes true when you do events like this."
"It's a great bonding experience," said Kacie Theisen, research engineer, Research and Advanced Engineering. "It gives us a chance to know each other on a more personal level."
Ford Accelerated Action Days are concentrated one-day efforts to meet critical needs identified by our agency partners. Each Ford Accelerated Action Day is centered on a particular theme. This was the fifth Ford Accelerated Action Day in 2009. In March, we addressed the needs of Children and Families. The environment and creating a Better World was the focus in May. Community Building was the theme during Ford Global Week of Caring in September, and volunteers supported Veterans and Military Families in November.
In 2009, 16,000 Ford employees and retirees volunteered more than 77,000 hours to help people in their local communities.
"We rely on volunteers to do the bulk of the work and to have Ford here is a tremendous help," said Marcy Fitch, director of Volunteer Services, Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. "We're very grateful."
"This is very, very important. We rely on volunteers," Marilyn Clemons, satellite supervisor, Focus:Hope. "We appreciate Ford. We know we can depend on Ford. Ford always comes through."
Ford volunteers will help pack and deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors on Christmas Day, just like they did on Thanksgiving. The next Ford Accelerated Action Day is March 4, 2010 and will focus on Children & Families.
