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Ford Motor Company awards $200,000 grant for Thailand Clean Water
Community project, a winner in the inaugural Bill Ford Better World
Challenge
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Ford volunteers in Thailand are among thousands taking part in
community service projects around the world as part of Ford Global
Caring Month
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Ford Motor Company Fund will contribute $700,000 to purchase supplies
for volunteer projects, as Ford sees increasing participation in
emerging markets
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DEARBORN, Mich. -- (Business Wire)
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 10th 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:
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Angola - Paint, repair and renovate a secondary school
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Australia - Beautify the grounds surrounding a family retreat run by
the Salvation Army
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Brazil - Make repairs and renovate a nursery, daycare and library for
children
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Colombia - Overhaul food bank delivery area and sort donations
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Germany - Design and develop urban gardens, help with construction
work at a high school
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India - Make renovations at a home for senior citizens
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Mexico - Make improvements at an orphanage, build water storage and
feed the hungry
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South Africa - Renovate bathrooms, repair ceilings and doors, and
paint homes for children
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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.
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Follow at www.facebook.com/ford,
www.twitter.com/ford
or www.youtube.com/fordvideo1
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160828005033/en/
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company Fund
Todd Nissen, 313-322-4898
tnissen@ford.com
or
Ford
Motor Company Fund
Eric Mitchell, 734-612-8267
emitch15@ford.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
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