Help Those in Need – And Yourself – During National Volunteer Week

April 16-22 is National Volunteer Week, and volunteering is part of our DNA here at Ford. Salaried employees can use up to 16 hours of paid time each year to volunteer for community service projects.

“National Volunteer Week is a chance to get reinspired, reinvigorated, and think about how we can be of service in our community,” said Joe Provenzano, director, Ford Volunteer Corps. “If you’ve worked with the Volunteer Corps before, you know how rewarding it can be. And if you haven’t volunteered before, this is a great opportunity to join us for the first time.”

Volunteering helps the volunteers, too. In fact, volunteering has been shown to decrease stress levels, promote a sense of purpose, and help create new, meaningful relationships.

Ford Fund is especially excited to offer volunteer opportunities next week with our longtime disaster relief partner, Team Rubicon. The veteran-led humanitarian organization serves global communities before, during and after disasters and crises.

Ford has been a champion of Team Rubicon for nearly ten years, helping the organization grow as flooding, wildfires, tornados and hurricanes impact a greater number of people each year. Ford and Ford Fund have donated nearly $1.5M dollars to the organization over the years, along with multiple Ford trucks, enabling them to clear roads and deliver essential goods and services in the wake of natural disasters. Next week, they’ll be kicking off a service project with homes impacted by the 2021 floods.

The Ford Fund has more than 24 volunteer projects lined up next week in Southeastern Michigan – from food pantry support and disaster relief to tree planting and park cleanups. If you’re considering volunteering, three projects are particularly in need of support:

• Disaster Action Team - Team Rubicon needs volunteers to help support debris cleanout from homes on the east and west side of Detroit that are still affected by flooding damage that occurred in 2021. Ford Fund partners with them on disaster relief efforts across the US.
• Food Pantry - Gleaners Mercado Food Hub is a drive-up pantry located inside the Southwest Ford Resource and Engagement Center. They need volunteers to assist with food distribution, including loading shopping carts indoors, loading food into vehicles outdoors as well as general food packing and cleaning.
• Meal Program - Salvation Army Detroit: Bed & Bread Program needs volunteers to prepare meals in the morning that will be packed on Bed & Bread Program trucks by noon and delivered to 60 different stops along three unique routes to men, women and children who are unable to make it to a soup kitchen. Ford Fund is a longtime partner of the Bed & Bread program.

Current employees and retirees can find more information at?MOBILIZING VOLUNTEERS.