- The Ford Volunteer Corps is kicking off Accelerated Action Days, a concentrated effort to maximize employee outreach to local communities.
- Hundreds of Ford volunteers have gathered in MODEL Teams to work on high impact projects that need immediate attention.
- The Ford Volunteer Corps awarded ten mini-grants to area agencies for tools and equipment for the volunteer projects.
DEARBORN, Mich., Mar. 13 - The Ford Volunteer Corps today rolled out MODEL Teams of Ford employees for the first-ever Accelerated Action Day. The MODEL Teams program is designed to raise volunteer efforts to a new level by concentrating employees on a specific area of need for an entire day.
“Children are the focus of this first Accelerated Action Day and MODEL Teams have been sent to facilities in critical need of our volunteer help,” said Janet Lawson, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. “The MODEL Teams concept is a high impact, quick strike partnership geared to produce maximum results for nonprofit organizations and the people they serve.”
The Ford Volunteer Corps awarded mini-grants to ten area agencies for tools and materials needed to complete the projects. Equipped with paint brushes, brooms and other supplies, MODEL Teams fanned across Southeast Michigan to locations targeted for today’s cleanup and renovation activities:
- Vista Maria, Dearborn Heights: renovate bedrooms for abused and neglected girls.
- Starfish Family Services, Inkster: paint and renovate the gym
- Penrickton Center for Blind Children, Taylor: improve safety/education environment
- Cass Community Social Services, Detroit: create shelter for women and children
- Arts and Scraps, Detroit: build Ford Art Gallery to display children’s art
- City Mission, Detroit: take students to visit The Henry Ford, while school is painted
- Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor: build a boardwalk through nature area
- Salvation Army, Leonard: Echo Grove Camp: rehabilitate camp buildings
- Gleaners Community Food Bank, Detroit: sort food and fill backpacks for kids
- Christ Child House, Detroit: paint housing for abused and neglected children
MODEL Teams will come together each quarter to participate in large projects under designated themes covering different areas of need. The next three Accelerated Action Days scheduled this year are:
- May 22 - The Environment
- September 11 - Safety and Shelter
- November 26 - Human Services
The MODEL Teams concept is being launched in Southeast Michigan and will gradually fan out to other parts of the United States and Canada throughout the year.
Ford Motor Company encourages salaried employees to take two work days per year and volunteer in their communities. Last year 30,000 U.S-based Ford employees volunteered their time to work on community projects.
“Corporate responsibility and community involvement are important to who we are as a company,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “MODEL Teams and Accelerated Action Days are the latest tools to support our long legacy of caring and working to make the world a better place.”
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford does business. Established in 1949 and made possible by Ford Motor Company profits, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, salaried employees, union members, retirees and their families participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.ford.com.