Ford announced its Good Neighbor Plan for West Tennessee at a community celebration that drew locals to the Boys and Girls Club of Brownsville, Thursday.
The Ford Good Neighbor Plan is a $9 million commitment – making it the largest community investment by a company so far in rural West Tennessee. That is on top of $21 million Ford invested before the Good Neighbor Plan, for a total of $30 million.
“The next few years will shape our communities for generations and we believe deeply that this should be an era of shared prosperity and opportunity,” wrote the 30-member Equitable Growth Advisory Council in an open letter to residents. “Every community surrounding BlueOval City should benefit as the complex comes to life.”
Residents will see the tangible results of the Ford Good Neighbor Plan in building community, career preparation and protecting the environment. The plan comprises more than 60 individual donations, supporting …
- Construction / rejuvenation of community centers in Douglass, Mason, Dancyville and Stanton
- Community center grants for facility improvements and programs
- Reopening Brownsville community pool and adding a new splash pad
- Renovating five playgrounds in Haywood County and one in Mason
- Help with emergency rent, utility and home repair needs
- Legal assistance to low-income families and individuals
- Affordable transportation, expanding Feonix Mobility Rising’s services into the rural areas near BlueOval City
- $2,500 cost-of-attendance scholarships from Ford Philanthropy
- Digital Fabrication Labs for area schools to improve hands-on learning
- Laptops for GED graduates in Haywood County
- The new YMCA early childcare center
- Legal aid for land appraisals and to obtain clear titles
- Outdoor pavilions in Stanton, Mason and Douglass for farmers markets
- Financial literacy classes, workshops and one-on-one financial counseling
- Entrepreneurship programs
- Pre-K expansion in Haywood County
- Book giveaways for kids
- Literacy initiatives for youth and adult learners
- Youth sports and science camps, and music, arts and cultural programs
- After-school program enhancements and facility improvements
“Together, we are working to make sure the next chapter in this region’s story is about opportunity, while preserving and celebrating the vitality and culture that makes West Tennessee so special,” says Gabby Bruno, director, Community Relations, Ford Motor Company.
The plan is designed to primarily serve residents in a 15-mile radius around BlueOval City, where approximately one-third of households have an income of less than $50,000 a year. Scholarships are available for residents in a 60-mile radius.
The benefits of the Ford Good Neighbor Plan will roll out over the next few years, with the majority of the investments being made in the next 12 to 18 months.
Ford Community Relations and Ford Philanthropy spent more than 2,500 hours listening directly to residents, and the plan reflects what they heard.
It was also shaped by the Equitable Growth Advisory Council, which brings together state and local government, non-profit and faith leaders. Haywood County Mayor Bill Rawls, Haywood County School Superintendent Amie Marsh, NAACP Tennessee State Conference President Gloria Sweet-Love, Vision Haywood Executive Director Emma Covington, TCAT Stanton Vice President Dr. Patrick Davis and Boys and Girls Club of Brownsville Unit Director Ray Jones serve on the council and introduced the Good Neighbor Plan at today’s event.
The council studies barriers that might prevent residents and local businesses from participating in upcoming economic growth, based in part on research and surveys led by the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Full details of the Ford Good Neighbor Plan – including how to access services – are available at FordGoodNeighborPlan.com. The company continues to seek resident input.
“We will know our plan is successful when residents young and old believe their brightest future is in rural West Tennessee. When they can build their lives and raise their families right here,” the council wrote in its open letter. “This is generational change, and we are just getting started.”
