FeedsFord Motor employees open arms, wallets
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Darryl Nolan, plant chairman at the Michigan Truck Plant, said he was happy to help out with the effort.Employees at the Ford Motor Co. plants in Wayne opened their arms—and a few grocery bags—to the community last week.
Workers at the plant stuffed Ford Explorers with food and donated it to the John Bolde Memorial Food Depot at St. Mary Church on Wednesday.
The effort was a cooperative one with all employees at the plant, according to Brian Hinton of Ford Motor.
“We’ve got good employees,” he said. “They give to a lot of causes, not just this one.”
The donation came through the Ford Global Week of Caring, an event the company started last year to urge Ford employees and retirees on six continents to volunteer for a variety of activities.
The company also puts on fundraising walks, other food and clothing drives and medical screenings.
Shelli Jump, coordinator of the St. Mary Outreach Center, said the donations were appreciated.
“It couldn’t come at a better time for us,” she said. “Our shelves were getting bare.”
The Outreach Center, on Sims Avenue and Second Street in the City of Wayne, provides food and other necessities for needy families throughout western Wayne County. They rely on donations, and tend to receive fewer items during the summer when schools are not in session.
Darryl Nolan, UAW Plant Chairman at the Michigan Truck Plant, said he was glad his comrades could chip in.
“It’s outstanding,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s good to extend a hand right back into the community.”
He said it was also fun to work with employees from other plants on the effort, too.
“It’s a friendly little thing, all for a good cause,” he said.
Employees at the plants are now gearing up for their next major charitable effort: their participation in the annual Toys for Tots drive.
Jump said she’s preparing for the next fundraiser for the food depot, too, a euchre tournament fundraiser that will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 29 at St. Mary. It costs $20 to enter and is limited to the first 160 entrants. To pre-register, call (734) 721-8745.
The depot is always looking for donations, too. Desired items include: hot and cold cereal, crackers, canned vegetables, stuffing mix, shampoo and bar soap, as well as canned tuna and ‘helper’ products like hamburger, chicken or tuna helper.
