2009-11-25 06:23:26 - On Thanksgiving and Christmas Day 11,200 hot meals will be delivered by 1,300 volunteers from Ford Motor Company and other corporations

DETROIT, Mich., November 25, 2009 – For the second consecutive year, Ford Motor Company Fund is donating funds to help feed 11,200 local homebound seniors on
Thanksgiving and Christmas because of the company’s commitment to programs like the Detroit Area Agency on Aging Holiday Meals on Wheels Program.

"We know how important it is for the Detroit Area Agency on Aging’s Holiday Meals on Wheels Program to continue feeding thousands of homebound seniors in Southeast Michigan on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Jim Vella, President Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “We are committed to doing what we can to address the needs of the seniors so we have stepped right in again this year with several hundred of our employees

and their family members to volunteer and pack and deliver the meals."

There will be 1,300 volunteers who will pack, distribute and individually deliver fresh-cooked, hot nutritious meals to 5,500 homebound seniors in metro Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Starting on Wednesday, November 25, hundreds of volunteers will assemble the cold portion (beverages, bread and dessert) of the meal from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, then on Thursday, Thanksgiving morning at 6 a.m., the volunteers will package the hot food portion of the meal for distribution to twelve sites where delivery of individual meals starts at approximately 8:30 a.m. until all the meals are delivered around 11 a.m.

The packing will occur at Valley Services, 1980 Bagley in Detroit at the corner of Rosa Parks Blvd. (old 12th Street) south of Michigan Avenue, near old Tiger Stadium and old Corktown.

Through the Detroit Area Agency on Aging (DAAA) Detroit Meals on Wheels, a federal and state funded program, meals are delivered to seniors five days a week. Unfortunately, there are no public funds to feed metro Detroit area homebound seniors during weekends and holidays. In 1988, DAAA under the leadership of Paul Bridgewater, joined the national campaign and created the Holiday Meals on Wheels (HMOW) program, adopting the slogan that “Hunger Takes No Holiday” to feed seniors who would otherwise go hungry on holidays.

“In the face of all the cutbacks, we are truly fortunate that the Ford Motor Company Fund came to us recognizing the need to feed our homebound senior population helping the community’s elderly who are less fortunate. Adding to the value of the monetary donation are the hundreds of Ford volunteers who will pack and deliver the meals. This meal and friendly Holiday Meals on Wheels volunteer may be the only food and company they will have on the holiday. There are more corporate and community volunteers than ever this year,” said Mr. Bridgewater, Detroit Area Agency on Aging President & CEO.

At present, HMOW feeds between 3,500 to 5,700 seniors each Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Labor Day. These holiday meals are made possible by a grassroots campaign that raises private contributions. Hundreds of DAAA employees, employees of other companies, partnering organizations, corporations, churches and individuals sell holiday greeting cards for $5 each. For every card, a homebound senior is fed through this program.

To volunteer for the Christmas Day delivery or make a donation, call (313) 446-4444.

DAAA, whose mission is to promote healthy aging and enhance the quality of life for older adults, is a private nonprofit agency established in 1980. DAAA serves approximately 56,000 older adults age 60 and over and caregivers residing in the City of Detroit and metropolitan areas including five Grosse Pointes, Hamtramck, Harper Woods and Highland Park annually. The DAAA’s services include the Regional Call Center, Wellness Services, Healthy Aging and Nutrition Services feeding about 4,000 daily through the Detroit Meals on Wheels program, Care Management Services for homebound seniors, the Mature Workers Program for low-income individuals age 55 or older, the Medicaid and Medicare Assistance Program, Outreach Services, and the Senior Solution on WGPR 107.5 every Saturday at 10 am. The organization is located at 1333 Brewery Park in Detroit. For further information call
(313) 446-4444 or visit www.daaa1a.org.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY FUND AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services is committed to creating opportunities that promote corporate citizenship, philanthropy, volunteerism and cultural diversity for those who live in the communities where Ford operates. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2009 and made possible by funding from Ford Motor Company, Ford Motor Company Fund supports initiatives and institutions that foster innovative education, auto-related safety, and American heritage and legacy. National programs include Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies, which provides high school students with academically rigorous 21st century learning experiences, and Driving Skills for Life, a teen-focused auto safety initiative. The Ford Volunteer Corps, established in 2005, continues Ford's legacy of caring worldwide. Through the Volunteer Corps, Ford employees and retirees participate in a wide range of volunteer projects in their communities. For more information on programs made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, visit www.community.ford.com.

DAAA Holiday Meals on Wheels Thanksgiving Day delivery distribution sites:

• All Saints Church, 3837 W. Seven Mile Road, Detroit
• Detroit Association of Women’s Clubs, 5461 Brush Street, Detroit
• Franklin Wright Settlements, 3360 Charlevoix, Detroit
• Christ Church, 960 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit
• Alpha Phi Alpha /King Solomon’s Lodge, 9840 Dexter, Detroit
• New Light Baptist Church Annex, 9550 Grand River Avenue, Detroit
• New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church, 19951 Livernois Avenue, Detroit
• Bridging Communities, 6900 McGraw Street, Detroit
• S.O.C./Neighborhood Club, 17150 Waterloo, Grosse Pointe Woods
• El Bethel Church, 25295 Grand River, Detroit
• 12th Street Baptist Church, 1840 Midland, Detroit
• The Matrix Center, 13560 E. McNichols Road, Detroit

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