Child Welfare League of America Names Ford Motor Company One of Best Corporate Friends of Children 3/6/2003
From: Joyce Johnson of CWLA, 202-942-0244 or at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, CWLA Press Room 202-745-2128 (as of March 3) or Brook Galbraith of Ford Motor Company, 313-323-0646 WASHINGTON, March 6 -- The Child Welfare League of America today released its second annual awards for the best Corporate Friends of Children. CWLA commends the corporations being recognized for their compassion for children in need and their generous contributions to this cause. Ford Motor Company, founded in 1903 and the world's second largest producer of cars and trucks and one of the largest providers of automotive financial services is one of five companies recognized by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) as a Corporate Friend of Children. Ford was selected for its outstanding commitment to children, youth, and families. "As we celebrate our 100th anniversary, all of us at Ford are proud of our longstanding commitment to corporate citizenship," said Ulsh. "We believe it is important to invest in our youth and in the community, and we are honored to have our efforts recognized by the Child Welfare League of America." Criteria used by CWLA in the selection of the awardees include: corporate personnel and management policies that promote the well-being of its employees; corporate giving and philanthropic activities that benefit children, youth, and families outside the corporate family; corporate products that are not harmful to children and families or their physical and cultural environment; and a sustained pattern of national, state, or local activities that benefit children, families, and the community. Ford was nominated by four CWLA member agencies, including Holy Cross Childrens' Center in Clinton, Michigan; Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights, Michigan; the Children's Center in Detroit, Michigan; and the Home of the Innocents in Louisville, Kentucky. "Ford has been a partner in helping and healing troubled children in Detroit since the 1940s," said Cameron Hosner, Executive Director of Vista Maria, Michigan's largest nonprofit agency serving high-risk girls. "Their commitment continues today, with hundreds of volunteers each year acting as role models and friends to our kids, with strategic leadership on our Board of Directors and with invaluable philanthropic support for our vital programs." Ted Lewis, CEO of The Children's Center adds "Ford has set a remarkable standard for building a stronger, healthier community by supporting many local youth organizations, and particularly, the mission and work of The Children's Center. They have helped us build a campus downtown that will offer help, support and guidance to thousands of children for years to come." "Ford has supported Boysville of Michigan, Inc., now Holy Cross Children's Services, since the inception of the organization in 1948," says Loren Brown, Vice President of Business Operations at Holy Cross. "They have maintained their commitment to community, youth, and families for many years, and that is outstanding. We congratulate Ford on their commitment and this year's award, as well as their 100-year anniversary." Shay Bilchik, CWLA's President & CEO, said, "We are pleased to present this award to Ford Motor Company. By developing Christina's Smile Program, which provides dental care to more than 20,000 children in need across the U.S. through mobile clinics, donating land for facilities to both Holy Cross and Vista Maria, hosting the largest fundraiser ever held for a single charity in Detroit's history for the Children's Center, and providing early childhood and family education services for its employees and their communities, Ford Motor Company has demonstrated itself to be a model for others and is truly deserving of this year's Corporate Friend of Children Award." The award will be presented to Ford at a dinner on March 6, 2003, during CWLA's national conference in Washington, DC. The annual dinner attracts over 1,200 child advocates, representatives from Capitol Hill, national child-serving organizations, foster parents, and others from across the country. CWLA will also present Corporate Friend of Children awards to Astoria Federal Savings, SAS Institute, Target Corporation, and Valentino's, Inc. CWLA also will honor Prudential Financial, Inc. as the Corporate Advocate of the Year. Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is the world's second largest automaker with approximately 350,000 employees, and operating in more than 200 markets on six continents. Its automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Hertz and Quality Care. The company's world headquarters is in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford Motor Company officially observes its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003. Additional information can be found on the company's Web site at http://www.ford.com. Ford Motor Company Fund Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford Company. Ford Fund supports non-profit organizations in three priority areas - education; community development and environment - and continues to be committed to providing and enhancing opportunities to the people who live and work in the communities where Ford Motor Company does business. For more information about Ford Fund, visit http://www.ford.com/en/ourcompany. Child Welfare League of America Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA strives to advance sound public policy on behalf of the more than three million abused, neglected, and vulnerable children served by its 1200 public and private member agencies. To further its mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting the well-being of all children and families, CWLA conducts research; develops standards of best practice; hosts regional and national conferences; provides comprehensive, field-based consultation and professional development services; and is the largest publisher of child welfare materials in North America. Additional information can be found on the League's website at http://www.cwla.org. | |