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Ford Motor Company is investing $1 million in education, safety and
disaster relief in a new initiative with Northern California Ford
dealers
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Ford contributions include a new Transit van for the American Red
Cross, and Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program in San
Francisco and Sacramento
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Innovative community outreach programs are part of Ford’s growing
presence in Northern California, which includes new Research and
Innovation Center Palo Alto
Company Website:
http://corporate.ford.com/
DALY CITY, Calif. -- (Business Wire)
Ford Motor Company is expanding its commitment to Northern California by
launching a new philanthropic initiative with local dealers that will
include $1 million of investments focused on middle school education,
disaster relief and driving safety.
Ford will focus on improving opportunities for middle school student
success in underserved populations, initially partnering with Boys and
Girls Club chapters to reach as many as 6,000 middle school students in
Northern California. Success in middle school often results in better
graduation rates in high school.
Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company,
will also bring its Ford Driving Dreams Tour to San Jose. This high
school program, which has reached more than 30,000 students in Chicago,
Indiana, Florida and Texas, helps Latino youth stay in school and pursue
higher education. The program includes scholarships and grants,
high-energy student assemblies, and an essay contest that invites
students to share their dream.
Ford’s commitment to middle school education includes an investment in
the United Way of the Bay Area’s Community Schools initiative, which
transforms public schools into neighborhood hubs where health care, food
pantries, after-school programs, family engagement and parent education
classes are available directly on school campuses.
“Ford is committed to making people’s lives better in our communities
and it starts with educating our young people,” said Jim Vella,
president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, the
charitable arm of Ford Motor Company. “By working jointly with our local
dealers and nonprofits, we are better able to meet the needs of people
in Northern California and provide assistance where it can have the most
impact and help more people.”
As part of Ford’s commitment to Northern California, the company is
donating a Transit van to the American Red Cross to help with emergency
response activities. Ford also is helping the region’s young people
prepare and respond to wildfires, earthquakes and other disasters
through its support of Red Cross Clubs and Youth Leadership Councils.
Ford announced the latest philanthropic collaboration with its dealers
at an event that also brought the award-winning Ford DSFL program to
Northern California. Hundreds of teen drivers in the San Francisco and
Sacramento areas will experience a safe driving course that puts them
behind the wheel with professional instructors.
“We are delighted Ford is taking on this major project in Northern
California, and we look forward to joining with the company to make a
difference in our community,” said Sid Savarani, chairman, Northern
California Area Ford Dealers Advertising Fund and owner of Walnut Creek
Ford. “Northern California Area Ford Dealers are committed to the future
of our communities.”
Ford’s expanded community outreach in Northern California coincides with
the opening earlier this year of the company’s Research and Innovation
Center Palo Alto. With the new facility, Ford expects to have one of the
largest auto manufacturer research centers in Silicon Valley,
accelerating the company’s innovation in connectivity, mobility and
autonomous vehicles.
Ford’s latest investments in charities and other nonprofit organizations
in Northern California brings the total amount Ford has provided to
local philanthropic causes to more than $4.5 million over the last 10
years. Previous and ongoing programs include:
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Ford Blue Oval Scholars and Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL), which
partners with the Elk Grove Unified School District on advising Ford
NGL for its national network;
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Grammy Signature Schools, which this year recognized San Francisco’s
Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School with its Enterprise
Award, and also Grammy in the Schools which recently visited San
Francisco;
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American Sabor, a traveling Smithsonian exhibition that showcased the
positive influence of Latino music and musicians in U.S. pop culture.
The new investments in Northern California are part of Ford Fund’s
Operation Better World initiative. Launched in 2008, the Operation
Better World framework enables Ford Fund, dealers and other groups to
collaborate on a strategic approach to philanthropy and more effectively
meet community needs.
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.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150610005865/en/
Contacts:
Ford Motor Company Fund
Todd Nissen, 313-322-4898
tnissen@ford.com
Source: Ford Motor Company
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