Sam Krahn 
To help customers and the community, Ford is offering a number of new programs to help with Coronavirus. This is aside from the new joint task force the Detroit Three are creating to tackle the Coronavirus internally. The Ford coronavirus relief effort will focus on helping customers with payments, and support for mainly the southeast Michigan area where Ford is based.
Ford has helped Ford Credit customers with past distastes, such as the California wildfires last year. Now, however, the issue is much larger and more widespread. Customers are newly encouraged to contact Ford Credit to discuss options if they have difficulty making payments. They have the option of changing payment due dates or delaying payments. Also, ads like the one above will run to spread the word on Ford’s programs.
In addition, Ford Motor Company Fund will be launching new, philanthropic efforts in the community. First, Ford will be helping the southeast Michigan area. Ford is donating $500,000 to help support non-profits providing food to children and the elderly. Also, Ford will convert two centers in Detroit into drive-up food banks, and plans to support housing for underprivileged areas. Ford Fund may even direct some of its employees to volunteer at understaffed non-profits.
Ford fund is also helping out with issues relating to school cancelations. They have teamed up with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to help students with financial difficulty get home during the sudden school closures. Furthermore, Ford will redirect some funding to support school food programs that go to children no longer in schools.
This seems to be just the beginning of Ford reaching out to their customers and the community during the Coronavirus Outbreak. There is currently a focus on supporting the Detroit area, southeast Michigan community, but the Ford Credit options stretch nationwide. Ford Coronavirus relief efforts highlight how car companies can do more than just sell cars in times of need.
