Ford Volunteers Pitch in on World Environment Day
On World Environment Day, more than 500 members of the Ford Volunteer Corps spread out over southeast Michigan for a number of community environmental projects in the latest Ford Accelerated Action Day. All in all , more than three dozen community service projects were carried out by the volunteers, including water system installation, storage shed construction, garden planting, and landscaping.
“Clean water, sustainability and environmental stewardship are important parts of the culture at Ford,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Ford employees understand that sustainability is not only important in automobile manufacturing, it is also a major component in improving the quality of life in our communities.”
What’s more, Ford also provided $46,000 in grants for the purchase of tools and materials to be used in the projects. Each nonprofit partner benefitted from up to $5,000 in grants. These partners—and projects—include:
- Alternatives for Girls, Detroit – Build garden shed, paint & decorate child care room
- Arbor Hospice, Ann Arbor – Create self-watering planting areas, prepare gardens
- Boy Scouts of America, Metamora – Rebuild yurts, dwelling structure for rustic camping
- Community Living Centers, Farmington – Paint office
- Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, Highland Park – Install drip irrigation system, plant urban garden
- Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak – Transform Great Apes habitat entrance into story circle
- Habitat Macomb, Mt. Clemens – Construct sheds, picnic table and paint ReStore
- Habitat Monroe, Monroe – Landscape three new homes
- Haven, Pontiac – Remove carpet, prepare for new carpet installation
- Henry Ford Estate, Dearborn – Plant native trees, install garden benches
- International Wildlife Refuge, Grosse Ile – Build accessible overlook deck
- Liberty Hill Housing Corp., Detroit and Westland – Landscape and clean up yards
- Penrickton Center for Blind Children, Taylor – Rehab privacy fence & play equipment
- Starfish Family Services, Inkster – Host year end celebration for students & families
- St. Vincent de Paul, Detroit – Install bookcases & slatwalls at thrift store
- Vista Maria, Dearborn Hts. – Plant trees, landscape campus
Additionally, Ford Green IT and the volunteers teamed up to collect unused computers, printers, and electronics to be recycled. In a similar project from 2013, more than 30 tons of equipment was collected and put to good use.
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