Aaron Robert
Shortly after purchasing the historic Michigan Central Station in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, Ford is out on the streets helping the local community.
The Ark Association, a local organization that provides food and clothing to the homeless, typically distributes its provisions every Saturday in front of Michigan Central Station. Recently, the association’s vehicle used to transport all of its supplies broke down, leaving team members unable to adequately serve the homeless population.
Ford remedied this problem by donating a 12-passenger Transit van to the Ark Association.
The donation follows a developing trend at Ford. The blue oval is investing in the Corktown neighborhood as they prepare to move into the newly-acquired train station. In addition to Corktown investments, Ford regularly donates $20 million annually for education, arts, culture, and hunger relief in and around the city of Detroit.
With Ford moving into the Corktown neighborhood, some community members and local officials are raising concerns over gentrification. Rising rents, trendy restaurants, and a significant demographic shift may burden and displace longtime residents. With this dynamic in mind, it will be interesting to see how Ford handles these criticisms through its community outreach efforts.
