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Ford Volunteer Corps Begins Global Caring Month with Transformational Clean Water Project, Challenge Grants

F | August 29, 2016

Ford Volunteer Corps Begins Global Caring Month with Transformational Clean Water Project, Challenge Grants

Ford Motor Company awards $200,000 grant for Thailand Clean Water Community project, a winner in the inaugural Bill Ford Better World Challenge
Ford volunteers in Thailand are among thousands taking part in community service projects around the world as part of Ford Global Caring Month
Ford Motor Company Fund will contribute $700,000 to purchase supplies for volunteer projects, as Ford sees increasing participation in emerging markets

Ford Motor Company kicks off Global Caring Month in September with a transformational undertaking by the Ford Volunteer Corps — the Thailand Clean Water Community Project, winner of a $200,000 grant from the Bill Ford Better World Challenge.

Hundreds of Ford volunteers will help rebuild a water system in the town of Chanthaburi that serves a school and more than 3,300 local residents. Ford volunteers will repair storage tanks and install new water purifiers, sinks and other restroom fixtures. In addition, the water will be used to help irrigate crops and sustain community gardens, also providing a hands-on learning experience for students and families.

“Clean water is a necessity – a basic human right – that is not always readily available in parts of the world,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “This project goes to the heart of making people’s lives better as we start Global Caring Month by harnessing the power of our volunteers to improve their communities.”

The Bill Ford Better World Challenge was launched last year as part of the celebration marking the 10^th anniversary of the Ford Volunteer Corps. The initiative also awarded a $200,000 grant for the Nonprofit Mobility App, a mobile software application that works like a ride-sharing app and can be used to connect Ford volunteers and nonprofits with drivers and vehicles that can move food, building materials and other supplies to where they can do the most good for people in the community. The idea — proposed by Ford employees — will be created by the University of Detroit-Mercy and used by organizations in the United Kingdom and southeast Michigan.

“I am proud of the tremendous response we received when we challenged our employees to help build a better world,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “These initiatives will help meet critical community needs and have a positive impact on the quality of people’s lives.”

During Ford Global Caring Month in September, some 20,000 Ford volunteers will participate in hundreds of community service projects around the world. Global Caring Month is the signature annual event of the Ford Volunteer Corps. Since it was launched in 2005, Ford Volunteer Corps members have contributed more than one million hours of community service in 48 countries, representing $29 million of in-kind community investments.

This year, Global Caring Month projects include:

Angola - Paint, repair and renovate a secondary school
Australia - Beautify the grounds surrounding a family retreat run by the Salvation Army
Brazil - Make repairs and renovate a nursery, daycare and library for children
Colombia - Overhaul food bank delivery area and sort donations
Germany - Design and develop urban gardens, help with construction work at a high school
India - Make renovations at a home for senior citizens
Mexico - Make improvements at an orphanage, build water storage and feed the hungry
South Africa - Renovate bathrooms, repair ceilings and doors, and paint homes for children
United Kingdom - Modernize and make extensive improvements at a mental health facility

Ford volunteers from more than three dozen countries have signed up for community projects, including a growing number in emerging markets from Cambodia and Malaysia to Guam and Samoa. In the United States, Ford employees will participate in more than 160 volunteer activities across 16 states throughout the month, including a Ford Accelerated Action Day on Sept. 16.

Ford Fund is also increasing its financial contributions to non-profit agencies during Ford Global Caring Month. Grants totaling $700,000 will be used to purchase tools and other supplies needed to complete many of this month’s community service projects.

“The positive, powerful impact this work has on people and communities is remarkable,” said Janet Lawson, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. “Each year a better world comes into sharper focus through the caring efforts of Ford employees and our nonprofit partners.”

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 Next Generation Learning and other inspiring 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.

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