Ford Fund Donates $100,000 to Gleaners Food Bank to Buy Baby Formula and Diapers, Helping Thousands in Need

Ford Mobile Food Pantries rolled through metro Detroit today delivering baby formula and diapers to food banks and other nonprofits. Ford Motor Company Fund – the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company – donated $100,000 to Gleaners Community Food Bank to purchase enough formula to feed 7,000 infants for a month.

“Meeting the most basic needs of families is the first step toward building stronger communities,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Children need nutritious meals to build a strong foundation mentally and physically, and we hope this contribution will help give them a healthy start on a promising future.”

With more than 200,000 children in Southeast Michigan – nearly 20 percent of the area’s kids – not knowing where their next meal will come from, additional support is always welcome. A text-to-give option for Ford employees and the public has been set up to donate money to Gleaners for the purchase of more formula.

To contribute any amount by credit or debit card to the Ford Baby Formula Drive, text FORD to 41444 and follow link.

With help from The Kroger Company, Gleaners was able to stretch this year’s Ford donation further and purchase more formula than last year. Ford volunteers loaded cases of baby formula onto Ford Mobile Food Pantries, including hundreds of additional pounds of formula and more than 11,000 diapers collected in the company’s annual employee Diaper & Formula Drive.

“I’m so grateful to Ford and its employees for launching this tremendous effort to help struggling families with young children,” said Gerry Brisson, president, Gleaners Community Food Bank. “With these two very essential needs covered, parents can meet their children’s other needs – like providing lots of love and giving them a better opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.”

Ford’s Diaper & Formula Drive was organized by Ford Volunteer Corps as part of last week’s Accelerated Action Day to help children and families. Hundreds of Ford volunteers renovated care centers, painted shelters, sorted food and packed meals at food pantries.

Over the past six years, Ford Motor Company Fund has contributed nearly $2 million to Gleaners Community Food Bank as part of its commitment to hunger relief in Southeast Michigan. Gleaners operates four Ford Mobile Food Pantries, and Ford Resource and Engagement Center in Southwest Detroit includes a Gleaners client-choice food service hub.

Over the years, Ford Volunteer Corps has enlisted thousands of Ford employees to sort, pack and deliver meals at Gleaners locations.

About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com.

About Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan

Everyone wins when hunger is solved. For nearly 40 years, Gleaners Community Food Bank has been “feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities.” Headquartered in Detroit, Gleaners operates five distribution centers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties and provides food to 535 partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other agencies throughout southeastern Michigan. Gleaners collects 34.5 million pounds of food a year and distributes 79,000 meals each day including providing nourishing food and nutrition education to 84,700 children a year. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 93 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs. Learn more at www.gcfb.org.

For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and video, visit www.media.ford.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160316005344/en/