INDIACSR News Network
CHENNAI: At Ford Motor Company, about 10,000 members of the Ford Volunteer Corps are joining together this week to tackle more than 200 community projects across six continents during the eighth annual Ford Global Week of Caring (GWC). The Ford Volunteer Corps is out in force from India and China to Australia and from Europe to the Americas during September 7 through September 15, 2013. Ford Global Week of Caring is the highlight of a year-round global campaign to flex the volunteer muscle of Ford employees, retirees and dealers.
More than 1500 employee-volunteers from Ford in India spread across Chennai, Coimbatore, Sanand and Delhi, will unite and devote time to improving the quality of lives in the communities they are engaged with. With close to 31 projects, Ford Volunteer Corps in India will see representation from Ford India (Chennai & Sanand), and Ford’s Global Business Services (comprising of Ford Business Services Center and Ford Technology Services India). Being testament to the promise to ‘Go Further’, the teams will implement activities that address education, health, environment, women’s empowerment & humanitarian support.
“Together with building Great Products, backed by Strong Business, our vision is to also create a Better World for future generations, as pioneered by our founder Henry Ford,” said Joginder Singh, president and managing director, Ford India. “The Global Week of Caring adds considerable heft to our philanthropic initiatives as it enables every employee to contribute to our vision. Our volunteers are our biggest assets in our endeavour to mobilise social change that is sustainable, impactful and meaningful. Global Week of Caring is an initiative that not only brings us together as One Team, but also helps us demonstrate a One FORD philosophy towards community outreach.”
In keeping with the true spirit of volunteerism, Ford employees have come together to mobilize relief for the victims of the Uttarakhand flood disaster. Further to this, one of the key highlights of this year’s Global Week of Caring is a donation of Rs. 59, 04, 000, which is being made to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Besides the contributions from Ford and Ford employees, the donation in aid of the flood victims, also includes contributions from Ford’s dealer-partners.
Some of the other key initiatives that are being undertaken by volunteers of Ford in India include inter-school competitions that help children showcase their talents, medical awareness camps, Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) sessions to spread the message of safe and eco-friendly driving, an awareness campaign across two cities to spread the message of eye donation, planting of tree saplings towards creating a more sustainable environment and the clean-up and restoration of water bodies (close to Ford’s areas of operations in Chennai).
More than USD 290,000 in grants worldwide has been allocated to help support community service projects, including new initiatives in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. More than USD 40,000 has been sanctioned as grants to support projects in India.
“Ford Motor Company and its employees have been giving back to the communities where we live and work for more than 100 years,” said David Dubensky, executive director of Ford’s Global Business Services.“Throughout the year, Ford volunteers get involved in numerous projects, but during the Ford Global Week of Caring, when employees around the world come together as ONE Ford, it is a powerful force of good in any language. With every passing year, we go further and get closer to our vision of a better world.”
Established in 1995, Ford India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader. Ford India manufactures and distributes automobiles and engines made at its modern integrated manufacturing facilities at Maraimalai Nagar, near Chennai. The company’s models include the Figo, Fiesta, Classic, Endeavour, and the most recently launched EcoSport.
Ford’s operations in the country also include Global Business Services, comprised of Ford Business Services Center and Ford Technology Services India. Located in Chennai, New Delhi and Coimbatore, these units support Ford globally in the areas of IT, accounting and finance, financial services and automotive operations support, global analytics and engineering services. Ford’s businesses in India employ 11,500 hard-working, dedicated men and women.
