Ford Volunteers Build a Home and Hope During Global Caring Month

The month of September was meant for giving, and that’s what nearly a dozen Ford volunteers did for one local family, spending their day turning a house into a beautiful new home as part of Ford Philanthropy’s Global Caring Month. The volunteers, in partnership with nonprofit organization Humble Design, furnished and decorated an apartment in Metro Detroit for Deajanea Shuler, a Navy veteran, and her two daughters, ages 1 and 2.

The organization, established in 2009, designs, decorates, and fully furnishes home interiors for individuals and families, including veterans, emerging from homelessness. Humble Design, which operates in several cities, including Detroit, Chicago, and San Diego, averages three home decoration projects in the Metro Detroit area each week using donated items.

“What’s really moving is to see these families … they are now in a home with a roof over their heads, their own rooms that not only just have a bed in them but have been decorated in a way that they might actually love,” said Ford Philanthropy President Mary Culler, who encouraged employees to sign up for volunteering opportunities using Ford Philanthropy’s Deed platform. 

Shuler said the new home brings stability, comfort, and acceptance for her and her children.

“I finally get to breathe,” she said, adding that the volunteers went above and beyond for the project.

Going above and beyond

In addition to arranging décor, they cleaned the apartment and performed other tasks to make the home beautiful for the family.

“I didn't think it was going to be this extravagant,” Shuler said. “I didn't know how it was going to be designed, … (but) I don't have to do anything. This is beautiful. I'm blessed. I'm grateful. I'm speechless.”

Prior to the decorating, the group of Ford volunteers toured the Humble Design facility, including a warehouse full of donated items like furniture, artwork, electronics, and kitchen items.

A reputation for giving

Mary Ellen Abraham, who worked a 33-year career at Ford before retiring two years ago, is now a designer at Humble Design. She was excited to work with a team of Ford volunteers for the second time in the past year.

“True to the Ford culture, they work hard, they do such a good job, they're handy, and they're creative,” she said. “Every time we get a Ford team, we're like ‘yay, we got a Ford team.’ We're just going to crank it out. And that's … exactly what's happening.”

Lindsay Bonzheim, who works in marketing, made her second volunteer appearance with Humble Design. The Volunteer Corps. gives Bonzehim an opportunity to not only give back to the community but to acquaint herself with her new surroundings.

“I'm really glad that Ford allows us the ability to come out and give back in this way,” she said. “It adds a lot of value because you can get caught up in the everyday, but to be able to give back in this way and be a part of the community is great and being able to show up as a Ford employee. It doesn't take much time to give back in this way. And to be able to see the value in doing this is really great.”

A time for caring

The Southfield, Michigan-based nonprofit organization was nominated by Kelsey Ruder, a sponsorship and activation marketing manager at Ford, to be part of Global Caring Month. 

“I hope to make a lasting impact on the individuals and families we served,” Ruder said. “By providing them with a comfortable, fully furnished home, we can help them build stability and break the cycle of homelessness.” 

Each September, the Ford Volunteer Corps., the volunteering arm of Ford Philanthropy, which is celebrating 75 years of making an impact in communities around the world, encourages employees to complete their own volunteer projects. More than 5,000 employees in 30 countries participated this year in 189 projects, a 50% increase from 2023.

“This is an opportunity for employees to pick their own areas of passion,” Culler said. “It's a unique opportunity for employees to look at what they're excited about and pick something that they want to do. And that's the whole point of Global Caring Month. We are giving employees an opportunity to really support an organization that they're excited about, not only with dollars but with time and effort.”

Culler also expressed gratitude to employees for their volunteer service, which totaled 55,000 hours donated to various community initiatives during Global Caring Month in 2023.

“I really want to thank the employees for their passion, for their dedication, and this is what makes Ford special,” she said. “I'm very excited that they're so excited to be involved.”