A #Ford fleet helps provide nutrition for little bodies and little minds.https://t.co/iXCA5xexZ2
— Ford Motor Company (@Ford) May 25, 2016
Ford Motor Company was founded in the outskirts of Detroit in 1903, and for over 100 years, the American manufacturer has been tied economically with Detroit. Now, Ford is helping the city to rebuild in the aftermath of financial collapse, and a big part of that is nurturing the next generation of Detroiters.
"A hungry child can't learn, and learning and what you eat, and nutrition is all tied together," says Zaundra Wimberley, Farm and Garden Program Director for Detroit Public Schools. Think about the last time you were really hungry -- it is impossible to focus and make rational choices when you haven't had a good meal.
Unfortunately, many neighborhoods in Detroit do not have access to affordable fresh foods. After eating processed sugary cereal for breakfast, and processed food for lunch, kids were left without enough wholesome nutrition to boost their ability to learn.
So, Detroit Public Schools (DPS) began a farm-to-school program, where volunteers and DPS employees would work small farms and gardens right inside the city limits to put better food on kids' plates at lunchtime.
"We have an entire fleet of vehicles and they're all Ford vehicles," says Wimberley. "Ford and Detroit are synonymous with tough. The F-150 is a tough truck, and Detroiters are tough, resilient people."
Visit Mike Carpino Ford Inc. to test drive tough new Ford trucks for sale in Columbus.