Ford Motor Company Cares About Kids

For many years, the Ford Motor Company Fund has been supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast kids through their national grant program and through support from the local Ford dealership—Santa Maria Ford. Focusing on programs and services that benefit “tweens” and those in Middle School, the Ford Fund provides grant money to help us reach middle schoolers with our dynamic programs designed to encourage leadership, academic excellence, and community service. One way Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast helps reach this great group of kids is by showcasing members in our Youth of the Month program. Every month, Club staff pick a member who is doing a particularly good job of modeling our Core Value or who has gone above and beyond with their personal goals, or who has leaped over an obstacle and didn’t let it get them down. Using donations of gift cards provided by Santa Maria Ford, the Youth of the Month is honored with special acknowledgment of a job well done.

Additionally, pre-Covid, members took field trips to Santa Maria Ford, where they could see all aspects of work in the automotive industry, from sales to service, to how the parts department works. The dealership staff enjoyed the experience as much as the members did! We look forward to continuing that great learning opportunity as it gets safer and safer for us to resume our usual activities with the kids. Eric Silver, from Santa Maria Ford, shares his thoughts about the Ford/BGC partnership, “Working with the Boys & Girls Club has been a very rewarding experience for me. The Club provides a place where the kids can feel safe and secure and are nurtured and encouraged by the great people that work for Boys & Girls Clubs. I believe that now more than ever, children and teenagers need guidance and help to navigate the constantly more complicated world we live in, and Boys & Girls Clubs is a valuable resource to help them. Boys & Girls Clubs can change the lives of so many kids and help to guide them to a great future as adults.”

Our partner at the Ford Fund, Kristy Khachigian shares her enthusiasm for the partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs as well, “The Ford Fund is thrilled to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Mid Central Coast. Our Ford Junior Youth of the Year program promotes academics, leadership, and community service to underserved middle school students. Boys & Girls Clubs have been a strong proponent of the Ford Motor Company Fund’s mission, and we look forward to continuing working together to serve the needs of the community.”

We look forward to continued generosity and partnership with the Ford Motor Company Fund.