Ford Motor Company Celebrates Holiday Season with Hunger Relief, America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit

Ford Motor Company delivers new truck to The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club, helping distribute 5,000 meals each day in Detroit

Ford is working with Detroit Area Agency on Aging to help provide meals for 6,000 homebound senior citizens, part of $1.3 million in hunger relief support across the U.S.

2015 Ford Mustang will lead America’s Thanksgiving Parade, one of more than 50 Ford vehicles playing a role in the annual Detroit event

DEARBORN, MI -- November 25, 2014: As part of Ford Motor Company’s expanded hunger relief efforts this year, the company announced the donation of a new truck to The Salvation Army’s Bed & Bread Club that will help serve 5,000 meals a day to needy people in Detroit.

“We’re proud to help the Salvation Army’s Bed and Bread Club travel to those in need, because hunger never takes a holiday”

The vehicle, which goes into operation this week, joins the Bed & Bread fleet that provides a sandwich, fruit, beverage, soup and snack to city neighborhoods. The Detroit Bed & Bread program is the largest one in the country. Marathon Petroleum Corporation will provide a year of free gasoline for the new vehicle.

“We’re proud to help the Salvation Army’s Bed and Bread Club travel to those in need, because hunger never takes a holiday,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “By addressing the issue of hunger through other programs such as Ford Mobile Food Pantries, Ford Focus on Child Hunger and Meet Up and Eat Up, we are going further to create stronger communities.”

The new truck, an E-350, is part of a combined investment of $1.3 million across the U.S. in grants, vehicles and other assistance toward hunger relief from Ford and Ford Motor Company Fund, the automaker’s philanthropic arm. The support is helping tackle hunger and homelessness in communities, providing millions of meals for people across the U.S. Among the activities:

Ford is working with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging to help provide meals to more than 6,000 homebound seniors. This is the seventh year Ford has donated $40,000 to support the Holiday Meals on Wheels Thanksgiving program, as well as provide additional funding for the daily meal service.

Ford is collaborating with The Parade Company and Gleaners Community Food Bank to fight hunger by collecting donations for holiday meals from people texting EAT to 85944.

Ford has teamed up with Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center and Feeding America® for a national text-to-donate campaign in conjunction with the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26 at Ford Field in Detroit. You can text MEAL to 50555 to make a $10 donation.

Meantime, Ford is helping southeast Michigan celebrate the holiday season with support of America’s Thanksgiving Parade, now in its 88th year. The all-new 2015 Ford Mustang will lead the parade in Detroit, one of more than 50 Ford vehicles playing a role in the event, along with the Ford float.