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Ford Volunteers Use GoodTurn App to Get Assistance to Hurricane Victims in Florida, Texas

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GoodTurn app

A number of Ford College graduates and members of the Ford Fund’s Thirty Under 30 leadership program are finding inventive ways to help those in need in the wake of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

The group, going by the name Organizers, is collecting diapers and cash for the San Antonio-based nonprofit Texas Diaper Bank, which provides diapers and incontinence supplies for needy parents. It will also be holding fundraisers for other organizations including American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities USA, and ToolBank USA to further provide assistance to people and communities impacted by the devastating storms.

Donations will be delivered to Texas and Florida with the help of the GoodTurn app, which was developed by the University of Detroit Mercy with the help of funding from the Bill Ford Better World Challenge. Organizers will post listings on GoodTurn seeking volunteer drivers to bring the goods to the agencies in Texas and Florida. GoodTurn previously only accepted Ford employees as volunteer drivers, but in response to the hurricanes, it has been opened to the general public.

“This work by our Thirty Under 30 participants shows the wide reach of our extended Ford family,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “By combining an innovative mobility app with their own commitment to community service, these employees are having an impact far beyond their workplace.”

Ford is also continuing its pledge to match contributions to American Red Cross up to $300,000 for both Harvey and Irma and now for Hurricane Maria. Ford notes that its donations in light of the disasters, including those from employees and dealerships, is nearing $1 million.