Community

Where True Valour Lives

March 30th, 2017

Changing Our Community

Over the last few weeks, Freedom Ford has been teasing a donation totaling $50,000. We set out criteria that stated that the charities must see tangible results, have an intelligent plan for the future, and spend their money wisely. Giving a donation of this size to three charities who meet the previously mentioned requirements will impact Edmonton's communities. We couldn't do that without the help of our loyal customers. This donation is as much from us as it is from them.

We received literally hundreds of suggestions from our Facebook followers and we were able to pick three. This was not an easy decision because there were many noteworthy causes.

So far, we've donated $12,500 to both the Edmonton Food Bank and Hope Mission. It's very exciting to reveal the final charity, as $25,000 will go to excellent use making Edmonton a better place for everyone to live and visit.

We are proud to announce that we have donated the remaining $25,000 to Valour Place, an organization of astounding success and caring to those who desperately need it.

About Valour Place

Valour Place is a beautiful organization located at 11109 111 Ave., which houses injured soldiers, RCMP, veterans and their families who do not reside in Edmonton and who require a place to stay during the period of their medical treatments and appointments.

It is their goal to be a state of the art facility that makes a difficult time that much easier for everyone involved. Their building is outfitted with several family areas for relaxing, a play area for kids, and a work out room. It also has personal bedrooms that are barrier free and can accommodate some medical equipment and much more.

Valour Place has become a model for community action and support for Canada's military in other centres across the country. Over $10 million was initially raised from donors at all levels of support to build this unique building. It has become evident that Valour Place is bringing Edmontonian and Albertans together to show that we understand sacrifice, we appreciate freedom and we support the people that have given us the lives that we enjoy today.

Nobody Left Behind

Valour Place is truly incredible. We were delighted to learn that the work out room was used heavily by not only by those doing rehabilitation, but also family members, as it was a healthy outlet. My initial assumptions were that it was mainly client treatment. They seem to have thought of everything and it shows. Of the $4.3 million raised in the last four years, they are well on their way to being fully sustainable through endowments.

The backyard is truly something to behold. In possibly the hardest time of yours and your families' collective lives you are still able to find some peace in the outdoors. With chairs, a nearby playground, and a barbeque, the guests can feel at home. Nothing helps heal faster than being relaxed and cared for. In the last four years, there had been over 600 families totalling over 10,000 nights of lodging, who have experienced the hospitality and generosity that Valour Place is renowned for.

As Brad Jinjoe, the funny gentleman you've likely heard on the radio, wrote the cheque from Freedom Ford I could imagine the people that had come through the front doors and left again, all the better for their experience. I could see an army veteran waiting for his next chemo treatment with his family there for support. I could see the new mother swaddling her baby on the couch as she herself was recovering from a risky pregnancy. I could also see the devoted spouse on the treadmill doing their best to sweat out their worry and grief. This donation is for all those that came before and all those that have yet to come to Valour Place.

You may not have money to spare but I assure you that there is some way that you can be a part of this unbelievable charity.

Pictured above: Marjorie Bencz, Executive Director, Edmonton Food Bank & Tommy Klufas, Marketing Manager, Freedom Ford

Here's How You Can Get Involved

There's plenty of ways that you can help. If you want to generously give money so that the Edmonton Food Bank can get 10 times the value in food you can donate here. If you are strapped for cash than you can volunteer your time here. OR you could bring food to 11508 120 ST NW. Read up on what the Food Bank needs first!

There is one more neat opportunity. Last October, Freedom Ford partnered with two Edmonton schools, one high school and one middle, who ran a food drive ON halloween. Together we raised 2,500 lbs of goodness. If you think a local school might want to participate in that massive drive this coming October 31 than drop us a line at [email protected]. It's a lot of fun for a great cause and easier than you think.

Thank you to all of our past, present, and future customers. It's your support that allowed us to make this massive donation and help those in need. We are humbled.

The Road To $50,000

March 23rd, 2017

Bank On Edmonton's Community

We recently announced that the first cheque for $12,500 would go to an organization that had their fingers in a ton of pies, who handled them expertly, and for a very low cost. The majority of the pies were homelessness, at risk youth, and lunch programs. Today, we delve a bit deeper into the world of food and feeding the hungry. It's an area that is often grossly misunderstood and hopefully we can bring to light an issue that people underestimate.

You can probably assume at this point that we have chosen to give another donation of $12,500 to the Edmonton Food Bank. We've had the pleasure of working with them in the past through Ford and continue to do a food drive in store and in the community. Have you ever seen their operation? It's seriously impressive. Behind the scenes where all the food is stored is where the magic happens. It's an endless ocean of smiling volunteers and staff moving food to designated areas, sorting, and putting into bins. As I said, it's seriously impressive.

Cold Weather Makes For Hungry People

On the day of the donation it was brutally cold. The kind of cold that splits your lips and dries your hands. It's also the type of cold that makes you hungry and, for many unfortunate people in Edmonton, it's the type of cold that makes foraging a risky ordeal. Families shouldn't have to take up urban foraging to survive but, as we all know, times are hard.

If you weren't aware, the Edmonton Food Bank is a place where the hungry can go to collect groceries for the week without paying a dime. Much of their food is placed in specific hampers to help Edmontonians receive a good balance of items to maintain a semblance of health. All of the food is donated from altruistic citizens and companies. One of the most unbelievable things that the Food Bank does is purchase the food they are lacking to fill gaps. They can get incredible deals on bulk purchases because of their amazing relationship with suppliers. For every $1 donated they can purchase $10 worth of food. Talk about making your money matter.

About the Edmonton Food Bank

Through its hamper programs, Edmonton's Food Bank serves over 20,000 people in need every month. These people are our neighbours, coworkers and friends as well as their children, 40% of those receiving food from the Food Bank are under 18 years old. These numbers have increased by a staggering 7,000 people per month in the last two years.

Edmonton's Food Bank also serves as a central warehouse and food hub for more than 250 agencies, churches, food depots and schools providing food for almost 500,000 meals and snacks every month. Among these agencies are 44 high-risk schools that come to Edmonton's Food Bank for food so underprivileged children can concentrate on school and not on their hunger. Edmonton's Food Bank is able to collect, store and redistribute surplus and donated food to these agencies allowing them to concentrate on their areas of expertise. In 2016, the Food Bank collected, sorted, repackaged and redistributed 4.2 million kilograms of food with a value of $23,100,000.

Edmonton's Food Bank receives no funding for operations from any level of government, relying on the generosity of the community to achieve its mission. "Edmonton's Food Bank is pleased to have community partners to help us feed Edmontonians in need. Our work would not be possible without such wonderful community support," says Marjorie Bencz, CM, Executive Director of Edmonton's Food Bank. "These funds help the Food Bank purchase food when donations are low, keep trucks running to pick up large donations, and fund the operations of our warehouse. Feeding Edmonton is truly a community endeavor and couldn't be done without the support of donors, like Freedom Ford, and our hundreds of volunteers."

Pictured above: Nathan Vedoya, Program Director, Hope Mission & Tommy Klufas, Marketing Manager, Freedom Ford

Here's How You Can Get Involved

We are very proud to donate $12,500 to Hope Mission. They have earned it in spades and I hope this information has inspired you to volunteer and maybe even donate. With this organization you can feel safe knowing that the funds will be used to the greatest efficiency. You could save a life from poverty. Whatever you do we hope that you will pass this on to someone else and help spread the incredible work on Edmonton's Hope Mission.

Thank you to all of our past, present, and future customers. It's your support that allowed us to make this massive donation and help those in need. We are humbled.

Charitable Giving, Our Mission

March 16th, 2017

Changing Our Community

Last week was huge for Freedom Ford but let's back up. Buying a vehicle affects a lot of people and it gives an added quality of life. We began thinking to ourselves… how can we do more and change more lives for the better beyond selling a quality product that fits the customer's needs? We put our heads together and realized that volunteerism is great but we already do that. This is when it clicked. Our customers come to us because we are the experts in what we do. So why don't we support the experts in fields that focus on improving Edmonton's communities.

In February, we let the public know that we planned on donating a total of $50,000 to some of Edmonton's most deserving charities. We soon found out that the task would not be an easy one. After literally hundreds of suggestions from our Facebook followers we were able to pick three that fit our criteria. We wanted to see that the money was spent effectively, which means long term planning and reasonable administration costs, that they do actual and tangible good in Edmonton, and that they are someone we can build a partnership with. We will be revealing our choices over the coming weeks, however; we are excited and proud to reveal the first one today.

The Cold Won't Stop Us

Friday, March 10 we picked up the fantastic over-sized cheque that you would expect and headed out. We are proud to announce that our first donor was Hope Mission. It was a devastatingly cold, and blustery day. One that nobody would want to sleep in, let alone survive in. The night previous saw 514 men and women and 325 the following day. And no, those numbers are not a typo. Beyond already knowing that they handle their money well and impact lives on a daily basis, in a meaningful way, today was proof that we made the right choice.

Now that we have the introductions out of the way I wanted to get down to business. This post was written for you, the public, to learn a little more about an organization that patches up Edmonton in areas that need help. As a whole, we would be far worse off without the Hope Mission. I'm sure that you've seen their ambulances around helping distressed individuals get through another day. With their forward thinking personal plans, getting through those singular days becomes so important. It's how Edmonton's homeless will see the light at the end of the tunnel and regain their place in a safer world.

About Hope Mission's Mission

Hope Mission is a not for profit social care agency for men, women, youth, and children experiencing poverty across Alberta. In Edmonton, Hope Mission serves over 1000 meals each day to the hurting and homeless, and provides a safe place to sleep for about 600 people every night.

Hope Mission provides basic and emergency care through our daily meal service and overnight shelters, as well as counsel, referral, and housing services. There is also specialized care for addiction recovery.

Hope Mission is such an impressive organization. They see a problem in a neighbourhood, put the resources together, and solve it. We are very lucky to have them throughout Canada. Here is a small list of what they do in just our community:

• 24/7 Rescue Van
• Partner with REACH Edmonton, City of Edmonton, Edmonton Police Services, and EMS
• Bargain Shoppe to provide clothing to clients while self generating revenue
• Community youth initiatives, mentorship, after-school programs, meal programs, and summer camps

Not sold on our decision yet? Here are some impressive statistics:

• Over 1000 meals per day are served out of the Hope Mission kitchen in Edmonton.
• On average 600 people sleep at Hope Mission every night in Edmonton.
• In 2016, we provided over 392,000 meals to the hungry and homeless.