About a week before Hurricane Helene hit Florida and started ripping and rampaging its way across that state, into Georgia, up to South Carolina, then North Carolina, around to Virginia and Tennessee, the executives at Ford Motor Co. were already in touch with Team Rubicon, the American Red Cross and other humanitarian groups to start forming a disaster plan.
The automaker has been partnered with Team Rubicon — a veteran-led humanitarian organization that goes into communities before, during, and after disasters to help clear pathes for rescue and to rebuild — since 2016. But last year was the first time that Ford and Team Rubicon took volunteer Ford employees and started training them on disaster work such as cutting up wood, removing debris, clearing out damaged homes and more. Once trained, those volunteers could be deployed to any disaster areas where they’re needed.
“We have a whole team here at Ford who is mobilizing any way to help,” Mary Culler, president of Ford Philanthropy told the Detroti Free Press.