Safety, education and cultural history define philanthropic aims

Last year, when brush fires devastated Northern San Diego County, Ford donated 10 vehicles valued at more than $500,000 to the San Diego Fire Department and an additional $100,000 to the local American Red Cross to help disaster relief.

Ford is also supporting safe driving programs in the community through its “Driving Skills for Life” program, designed to teach teenagers how to avoid serious accidents, the No. 1 cause of teen fatalities in the United States.

The key element of the San Diego initiative, according to Vella, is the involvement of local Ford dealers, who will be screen grant applications.