The sounds of hammers, drills and saws fill the air when the Ford Volunteer Corps teams up with Habitat for Humanity to help revitalize a community.
Ford has been an official sponsor of Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates since 1995, and the Ford Volunteer Corps continues to build on that commitment.
Over the past four years, Ford volunteers have joined Habitat for Humanity in helping reestablish a Detroit neighborhood. During the 2009 Detroit Blitz Build, Ford volunteers pitched in to build four new houses. With the assistance of Ford volunteers, Habitat for Humanity has put up more than 50 homes in the neighborhood in the past four years. Eventually, they will build 100 new houses and bring new life to a neighborhood that is growing one home and one family at a time.
This is just the latest in a series of Ford volunteer building efforts. Over the past few years, our volunteers have participated in many Habitat for Humanity activities:
- In September 2009, Ford volunteers helped build a delivery platform for donations at the Habitat for Humanity Monroe County ReStore and also worked on house projects with Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley in Washtenaw County.
- Ford volunteers pre-built the frames for seven new houses and then helped raise the walls to make two of the houses homes for low-income families as part of the 2008 Detroit Blitz Build.
- During the 2006 Super Bowl in Detroit, Ford volunteers took part in the NFL Super Build, putting together frames that were shipped to the Gulf Coast to become homes for hurricane survivors.
- During the week of September 9, 2006, Ford volunteers around the world teamed up with Habitat to build 24 homes for people in need.
- We were proud to be a Host City Partner for the 2005 Habitat for Humanity International Jimmy Carter Work Project in Detroit and provided the largest contingent of volunteer teams for the project.
- In 2004-2005, Ford provided over 2,100 volunteers to work on the building of homes for Habitat for Humanity and its affiliates. Ford volunteers represent more than half of the total volunteers in Detroit.
Helping Tsunami Victims
In 2004, we joined with Habitat for Humanity International to help rebuild homes and communities in countries affected by the tsunami in Southeast Asia. Our contributions in these efforts included general funding and employee volunteers. To contribute to the relief efforts, Ford of Thailand sent hundreds of Ford volunteers to the tsunami-ravaged area of Thailand. There are 24 families now living in homes built by Ford volunteers.
