Ford ambulances. The company has many programmes supporting the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. — VNS Photo
The Ford Motor Company Fund has recently announced that its employees and others have contributed over US$1.13 billion to COVID-19-related relief efforts around the world, surpassing its goal.
The COVID-19 Donation Match Programme was established in April to provide Ford employees, their families and friends a way to help fight the growing pandemic that kept them at home and unable to volunteer in traditional ways.
“Giving back is one of Ford’s key values and that is most exemplified in our employees,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company.
“We received so many requests from employees asking how they could help in the early days of the pandemic. The donation match programme provided a meaningful way for employees to join the fight against COVID-19 – even at a time they could not physically be there to pitch in and help make a difference.”
In Viet Nam, in partnership with Centre of Live and Learn for Environment and Community, Ford Vietnam and its dealers have provided 2,400 meals and face masks to visually impaired students in Ha Noi as well as delivered food and supermarket gift cards to 120 poor families in this city.
In HCM City, four tonnes of rice have been donated to residents through the rice ATM initiative, and 2,250 meals and SIM cards have been gifted to 150 students of HCM University of Technology.
In Ha Giang, the programme has donated rice to 150 poor families in Meo Vac village and presented masks and protective equipment to the special task force, along with providing building materials for quarantine points in Meo Vac district.
Ford Vietnam and its partner JMC have granted the first Ford Transit Negative Pressure Ambulance in Viet Nam valued at VND2 billion to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases to transport COVID-19 patients. With modern equipment, this is a safe ambulance that helps to minimize the risk of cross-infection of patients and health-care workers.
In areas that were strongly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak at the end of July like Hai Duong and Da Nang, Ford Vietnam has also supported vehicle fleets for Hai Duong Province in its fight against the epidemic as well as presented oil vouchers to the Pickup Vietnam Club for their community works in Da Nang during the COVID-19 period. In addition, the company has provided food, masks and hand sanitizer for disadvantaged people in these two provinces through its NGO partners. — VNS