Ford and Ford Philanthropy have taken quick action to help bring aid to communities in Kalamazoo County, Michigan and across the Midwest and South affected by a recent string of powerful storms and tornadoes. Dozens of people are feared dead and communities have been left to sift through rubble. Our hearts are with everyone who has been impacted by these tragedies.
Ford Philanthropy is working closely with emergency response organizations, nonprofit partners, local Ford dealers, and regional team members to deliver effective support to the communities affected.
Many of you are personally affected and have asked how you can help.
You can act now by volunteering or donating with two of our key partners: Team Rubicon and American Red Cross.
TEAM RUBICON
Team Rubicon is on the ground determining how best to support people in the affected areas.
The veteran-led humanitarian organization is asking our Ford community to support in two critical ways right now:
DONATE
Donate to Team Rubicon’s Ready Reserve Fund to ensure Team Rubicon can deploy as quickly as possible.
Donations are focused in three critical areas: Response, Recovery, and Resilience. By giving to the Ready Reserve Fund, your investment ensures vulnerable households in Michigan and across the Midwest and South will receive the services they need.
VOLUNTEER
Team Rubicon is responding in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. If you are in Michigan, Northern Ohio or Northern Indiana and able to volunteer, please click on a date and registration link below to learn more and to register. You must register on the Ford Volunteer Corps and Team Rubicon websites. These projects are intended to be single day deployments (not overnight). You can sign up for multiple days.
Volunteers assist with interior home disaster muck removal, temporary home repair, roof-tarping efforts, and debris management.
Team Rubicon Powered by Ford | Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado Response 5/17
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Team Rubicon Powered by Ford | Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado Response 5/22
Team Rubicon Powered by Ford | Kalamazoo, Michigan Tornado Response 5/23
If you are not in this area,
Sign up to volunteer by registering to become a Team Rubicon Greyshirt
Complete the online training so you are prepared and ready to help in the recovery efforts when the call comes in. By becoming a Greyshirt you will receive text alerts for current operations in your region.
Make sure to select FORD as your affiliation.
The Ford Volunteer Corps is piloting an extended paid time off policy to allow for more flexibility to deploy with Team Rubicon. Salaried employees currently receive 16 hours of paid time for use when volunteering. If you are interested in deploying with Team Rubicon for longer than 16 hours, please email the Ford Volunteer Corps for details at volunteer@ford.com.
AMERICAN RED CROSS
To contribute to support humanitarian aid efforts, we recommend donating directly to Ford's employee donation page set up by the American Red Cross. Ford Philanthropy has a more than 50-year partnership with the legacy humanitarian aid organization.