Ford Motor Company Tops $4 Million In Hurricane Relief

[Rick]

FORD MOTOR COMPANY TOPS $4 MILLION IN HURRICANE RELIEF

* DONATES NFL TV AIR TIME TO RED CROSS FOR FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
* GIVES 160 TRUCKS, VANS, SUV'S FOR RELIEF EFFORTS
* PROVIDES USE OF CALL CENTERS FOR NETWORK TELETHON
* FUNDS, VEHICLES, IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TOP $4 MILLION

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 7 – A full-scale campaign by Ford Motor Company employees and dealers to help the relief efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina has resulted in vehicle donations, money and in-kind contributions that have topped $4 million so far.

Ford Division will donate national television advertising airtime in September to the American Red Cross fundraising campaign to appeal for donations. The Red Cross fundraising spots will replace some of the previously planned Ford vehicle ads. The 30-second ads will begin appearing this weekend during several of the NFL season kickoff games and other prime-time programming.

Ford Motor Company Fund has pledged a total contribution of $1 million to disaster relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and America's Second Harvest. This contribution includes a match of Ford employee donations to selected organizations . Ford employees are continuing to make donations.

“The scale of devastation and human suffering in Louisiana and Mississippi are staggering in scope, and Ford is fully committed to helping in the relief efforts," said Bill Ford, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company. "The challenges ahead are great but we plan to be involved for as long as it takes."

All company operations, including Ford Motor Credit and Hertz, are working with relief organizations, along with governmental agencies to determine how their resources can best be maximized.

As part of the Ford Team USA effort, company actions are under way on a variety of fronts, including:

* A $2 million vehicle donation of more than 160 used trucks, vans and SUVs donated for use in the relief effort;
* Deferred payments for 90 days for Ford Motor Credit customers in the affected areas;
* A $750 Disaster Relief Program incentive, on top of other incentives, to assist affected people in the purchase of replacement vehicles as they begin to rebuild their lives.
* On Friday, September 9, Ford will donate the use of its toll-free customer call centers and more than 500 Ford call agents to assist television networks and cable stations conducting a national telethon fundraising effort. The program airs from 8:00-9:00 p.m. local time in the different time zones. Ford call agent volunteers will work between 7:00 p.m. and midnight to assist with donations.

The company has approximately 50 dealerships in the affected area and 30 of them remain closed at this time. These dealers employ literally hundreds of people in the region.

"While we do not have a complete assessment of damage to our dealerships at this time, we believe that at least 20 of them were heavily damaged or destroyed," said Dan Brouillette, vice president Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Company. Brouillette, who is originally from Louisiana, has been dispatched to the state to lead the company's efforts on the ground there.

Meanwhile individuals and organizations within the company and dealers are finding ways to help, through fundraisers, blood drives and other activities. And dealers in Texas are making space available to house refugees who are displaced in locations like Ford Park and Ford Arena in Beaumont which is near Houston.

Finally, the company is working with local and state officials to coordinate further volunteer efforts to help in the affected areas when officials give the green light.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln , Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

Sept.7, 2005

 

[BeauJ]

Nice to hear. Too bad they couldn't top Toby Keith's $5 million donation

 

[jimbo74]

GO FORD!

and people say FORD is having financial problems

 

[IAmTodd]

GO FORD!

and people say FORD is having financial problems

Yea, they're having as many financial problems as the oil companies

Thats great that they're doing this. So who wants to make bets who'll be next, Dodge or Chevy.

 

[Rick]

Ford donated more than the country of Japan... That's significant

 

[Garth]

Hooraay, Ford.

 

[dtl 2k2 sport]

TOYOTA,, donated 5million,, just had to add that, Did chevy throw any in the pot?

 

[jimbo74]

well, toyota does make a ton of their stuff here in the us... tacos are made about 10 miles from my house

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Glad to see Ford taking a part of the relief.

 

[Rick]

FORD MOTOR COMPANY INCREASES HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS TO MOBILIZE $6 MILLION IN AID TO GULF STATES



Note to Editors: The following information is in response to media requests for an update on Ford Motor Company relief efforts to aid the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

* FORD PROVIDES MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS COMMAND CENTER
* VOLVO TO MATCH DEALER CONTRIBUTIONS OF $500,000
* VEHICLE DONATIONS INCREASED TO 275
* JAGUAR/ LAND ROVER TO MATCH DEALER/EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS OF $150,000 TO CHARITY FOOD BANK
* FUNDS, VEHICLES, IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS TOP $6 MILLION

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 16 – Ford Motor Company has increased vehicle donations, money and in-kind contributions by $2 million to provide more than $6 million in relief efforts to the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Volvo Cars of North America will match dealer contributions up to $500,000 to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, while the Jaguar and Land Rover operations will match up to $150,000 U.S. dealer and employee contributions to America's Second Harvest, a food-bank charity.

Vehicle donations have increased to 275 units with the addition of 115 used vehicles to the units already in the Gulf States. Land Rover LR3 sport utility vehicles, Ford Econoline vans, plus other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles are being added to the fleet being utilized by local, state and federal emergency workers.

The company has also dispatched its "Ford Mobile Incident Communications Command Center" to St. Bernard Parish, a community of 70,000 people just outside of New Orleans which has been devastated by the hurricane. The Ford Mobile Command Center has become the headquarters for the St. Bernard Parish sheriff's office which is coordinating law enforcement and military relief teams.

The Ford Mobile Incident Communications Command Center is a 40-foot trailer which has the latest in high-technology communications equipment that can link all police and military radio communications through one system. Equipped with 120 Motorola radios, the command center is a self-sufficient operation with five power generators. Ford security and radio communications volunteers are staffing the effort.

Ford has already launched multiple initiatives to assist in the relief efforts. As part of the Ford Team USA effort, company actions include:

* Ford Motor Company Fund has pledged a total contribution of $1 million to disaster relief organizations including a match of Ford employee donations.
* Customers in the affected areas can defer payments for up to 90 days to Ford Credit, Jaguar Credit, Land Rover Capital Group, Mazda American Credit, PRIMUS Financial Services and Volvo Car Finance;
* A $750 Disaster Relief Program incentive, on top of other incentives, to assist affected people in the purchase of replacement vehicles as they begin to rebuild their lives.
* Ford Division donated national television advertising airtime in September to the American Red Cross campaign to appeal for donations. The Red Cross spots have replaced previously planned Ford vehicle ads on NFL and other prime-time programming.
* On September 9, Ford donated the use of 13 toll-free customer call centers in the US and Canada for a major network telethon fundraising program. More than 1,300 Ford call agent volunteers staffed phones to assist in taking donations.

The company has more than 50 dealerships in the affected area with six remaining completely closed at this time. Although dealerships have reopened, they face tremendous challenges in repairing damage to facilities and assisting employees in locating housing.

"Words cannot express the response we have received from the local and state officials who we are assisting with our vehicles and mobile command center," said Dan Brouillette, vice president of Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Company. "The Ford employee volunteers on the ground here in Louisiana are working with real heroes who are directing relief efforts at a time when they too, have lost homes." Brouillette, who is originally from Louisiana, has been dispatched to the state to lead the company's efforts on the ground.

Meanwhile, individuals and organizations within the company and dealers are finding ways to help, through fundraisers, blood drives and other activities. Dealers in the southwest region have committed nearly $275,000 in money, non-cash and in-kind contributions, such as providing housing for evacuees at locations like Ford Park and Ford Arena in Beaumont which is near Houston.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln , Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com. Sept 16, 2005

 

[Rick]

FORD OPENS CALL CENTERS FOR HURRICANE TELETHON; DONATES NFL TV ADVERTISING AIRTIME TO RED CROSS


* 1,300 Ford Call agents volunteer for network telethon
* "Ford Blue Jeans day" adds $4,000 more to donations

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 9 – Tonight, 1,300 Ford Motor Company call center team members will donate their time from 7 p.m. to midnight to assist network television and cable channels conducting a national telethon fundraising program for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Ford team will provide eight percent of the 15,000 volunteers nationwide awaiting donation calls.

Ford Motor Company will donate the use of 13 toll-free customer call centers in the United States and Canada. The telethon program airs from 8-9 p.m. local time in the different time zones. Ford call agent volunteers will assist in taking donations over the phone.

The Ford volunteers will participate at Ford Credit facilities located in Dearborn, Tampa, Nashville, Colorado Springs, Baltimore, Henderson, NV, Mesa, AZ, Greenville, SC, Omaha, Richardson and Irving , TX. In Canada, the Ford centers are in Ottawa, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta.

Denim means dollars for the hurricane relief efforts at Ford Motor Credit Company. The finance unit of Ford raised more than $4,000 in a "Ford Blue Jeans Day" campaign. Employees skipping the standard business attire in favor of their favorite pair of jeans were asked to donate $3 to the Ford Team USA fundraising efforts by the company.

"Our employees and dealers are reaching out to help those in need in the Gulf States," said Jim Bright, executive director of the Ford Volunteer Corps. "The Ford Team USA has given over $4 million worth of assistance through vehicle donations, cash and in-kind contributions."

Ford Division is donating national television advertising airtime starting this weekend to the American Red Cross fundraising campaign to appeal for donations. The Red Cross fundraising spots will replace some of the previously planned Ford vehicle ads in September. The 30-second ads will begin appearing this weekend during the NFL season kickoff and other prime-time programming.

As part of the Ford Team USA effort, company actions include:

* A $2 million vehicle donation of more than 160 used trucks, vans and SUVs donated for use in the relief effort;
* Deferred payments for 90 days for Ford Motor Credit customers in the affected areas;
* A $750 Disaster Relief Program incentive, on top of other incentives, to assist affected people in the purchase of replacement vehicles as they begin to rebuild their lives.
* Ford Motor Company Fund has pledged a total contribution of $1 million to disaster relief organizations including a match of Ford employee donations.

"Ford dealers in the Gulf States area are making progress in opening for business," said Dan Brouillette, vice president Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Company. "Beyond our work with government agencies in disaster relief, we are working to assist our dealers and their employees to assist them in rebuilding their economic livelihood." Of approximately 50 dealerships in the affected area, 10 dealerships remain closed said Brouillette, who is originally from Louisiana. He has been dispatched to the state to lead the company's efforts on the ground there.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln , Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

Sept.9, 2005

 

[dtl 2k2 sport]

uhm as i said above, toyota AINT doing all that, keep us posted rick ,, glad to see a continus effort!!

 

[BeauJ]

Damn, Oprah gave 10 Million for the hurricane

 

[Garth]

Oprah proberly got sponsered.

 

[huskyfan23]

Damn, Oprah gave 10 Million for the hurricane

Was just aboot to say that. Damn you!

Donate to Salvation Army. With them you KNOW what's going where.

 

[Garth]

2 houses and a car and minivan.

 

[BeauJ]

Oprah proberly got sponsered.

Oprah doesn't need to be sponsored. Her banks probably can't even keep up with all the money she has. She mades Steedman count it anyway

 

[wired_af]

Thats awesome to see Ford helping out!

 

[Stephen]

Its nice they're doing this, but don't be so naiive guys. This is the business world, its a PR repair stunt nothing more.

 

[huskyfan23]

Yeah, but they're still helping out. Doesn't matter what their motive is.