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More than 425 Ford volunteers and another 75 - 100 community partners participated in environment enhancing projects on May 22, 2008, the second MODEL Teams Accelerated Action Day. The day consisted of three project focus areas: the 10th annual Ford Rouge River Clean-up; fifteen MODEL Teams project mini-grants to area non-profits; and eight additional environment protection projects at other nonprofit agencies.

The Ford Rouge River Clean-up has focused volunteer efforts on the Rouge River watershed area annually since 1998. This year, twenty-four areas along the river from Dearborn to Canton benefitted. In one very busy day, stream banks were stabilized, wild flowers and native trees were planted, wildlife habitats were established at schools, and budding carpenters built a bridge, turtle rafts, bird boxes, tomato planter boxes, compost bins, and boardwalks over wetlands.

Fifteen nonprofit Southeast Michigan organizations were awarded mini-grants to develop "green" volunteer projects for Ford volunteers. Projects included the replacement of trees lost to the Emerald Ash Borer, the restoration of heritage gardens, residential treatment facilities, housing youngsters, teens, adults and the terminally ill, had their gardens rehabilitated, two rain gardens were built, and invasive species growing in area parks were removed. The agencies receiving mini-grants were: Angels' Place, Arbor Hospice, Boys and Girls Republic, Children's Home of Detroit, City Mission, Detroit Zoo, Kensington Metro Park, Lutheran Social Services, Methodist Children's Home, Nichols Arboretum, Penrickton Center for Blind Children, Starfish Family Services, and Vista Maria.

Additional projects were held at Arts and Scraps, Community Opportunity Center, Southwest Detroit's Clark Park, Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp., Henry Ford Estate, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Maybury Farm and the Nature Conservancy in Tecumseh.

Twenty communities in Southeast Michigan benefitted from the hard work and dedication of Ford volunteers. Thousands of school children, visitors to the Detroit Zoo and area parks, hospice patients, the families of individuals in residential care, and many, many others will all enjoy the work of dedicated Ford volunteers. At last count, over 3 million children and adults residing in Southeast Michigan were directly impacted by the efforts of Ford employees working in MODEL Teams.

The next Accelerated Action Day is September 11, 2008 in the August and September season of Community Building. Habitat for Humanity builds, home repair at treatment facilities, and playscape and wheelchair construction are just a sampling of the projects that will be listed and available at www.volunteer.ford.com beginning late June. Are you ready to join a MODEL Team?