With COVID-19 news changing daily, Planet Ford in Spring wanted to share some uplifting news of how the Ford Motor Company Fund is providing two new and unique opportunities for Ford employees around the world who are eager to give back while honoring stay-at-home recommendations. The end result will help communities and our kids.
This new COVID-19 Donation Match program is a combined effort between Ford Fund and Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford that will match $500,000 in donations to designated community organizations in the fight against COVID-19, raising a potential $1 million for groups battling the pandemic across the globe. Ford Fund is also launching a new “Read and Record” virtual volunteering project to create an online library of Ford employees reading children’s books for the 1.3 billion children and youth affected by school closings around the world.
“During trying times, Ford employees are used to being the boots on the ground – getting out, signing up and pitching in to help make a difference,” said Mary Culler, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Even now, while many are sheltering in place at home, our employees are looking for ways to help. These two new programs offer meaningful ways for employees to give back and join in the fight against COVID-19.”
Matching Donations to Make a Difference
Through the COVID-19 Donation Match, Ford Fund is giving Ford employees, as well as their families and friends, an opportunity to make a donation to support nonprofits and other community organizations in their efforts to meet coronavirus-related needs in more than 20 countries around the world.
GlobalGiving manages the program and is Ford’s longtime disaster relief and global grant-making partner. The program’s goal is to support community projects in locations that have both a significant level of emergency need and a substantial Ford employee presence. Projects focus on addressing hunger, shelter and mobility needs, providing educational resources, or delivering critical medical supplies and services to communities in need.
The $500,000 in matching funds, which include contributions from Ford Fund and Bill Ford personally, represent the strong commitment of both Ford’s philanthropic group and Bill Ford, who started the Ford Volunteer Corps 15 years ago and continues to champion the importance of volunteering and giving back.
Employees and others interested in donating can visit www.globalgiving.org/ford-covid-response to view a full list of participating countries as well as cities across the United States, and to learn more about community projects they can support. GlobalGiving will add new projects and additional details over the coming weeks, so employees are encouraged to check back often for updates.
Virtual Volunteers & Online Resources
Ford Fund has created a new “Read and Record” virtual volunteering project invites Ford employees from around the world to record and submit videos reading a children’s book in their own language. The effort is designed to provide Ford employees a way to give back from the safety and comfort of their own homes, and builds on Ford Fund’s ongoing efforts to increase literacy and promote a love of reading.
The online library will be catalogued by language, and multilingual employees are encouraged to read in languages other than English. Ford Fund plans to share the library with philanthropic groups that serve children and families.
To further assist employees, their families or anyone looking for things to do at home during the pandemic, Ford Fund is compiling COVID-19 related volunteer opportunities and providing a library of free online resources offered by many of its community partners. Available at www.fordfund.org/covid19, activities include virtual tours, downloadable worksheets, online tutorials, videos and more – all designed to help entertain, educate or inspire people of all ages. The site’s “How You Can Help” page also outlines ways employees can contribute to specific nonprofit needs for volunteers or donations of goods and supplies.
Ford Fund previously announced it is allocating more than $1.6 million in resources to help communities and local nonprofits throughout Southeast Michigan and across the United States address hunger, shelter and mobility needs related to COVID-19. Earlier this year, Ford Fund also worked with Ford of China to provide face masks and other protective gear needed during the initial breakout of the virus in China.
Healthcare Support
As Ford Fund concentrates on taking immediate action at the local level, Ford engineers, researchers and suppliers are designing and manufacturing masks, respirators, ventilators and other critical medical equipment and supplies for healthcare workers, first responders and patients fighting COVID-19. To learn more about the company’s recent news and efforts related to COVID-19, click here.
If you need automotive assistance, Planet Ford in Spring (serving greater Houston, The Woodlands, Aldine, Cypress, Conroe) is here to help. Visit us online at PlanetFord45.com to get started. We’re all in this together.