DEARBORN, MI-More than 12,000 members of the Ford Volunteer Corps with hammers, hoes and helping hands are tackling more than 200 community projects on six continents as part of the 2011 Ford Global Week of Caring. For the sixth straight year, Ford employees and retirees are joining together with employees of Ford dealerships to make a world of difference during this annual event which in 2011 runs through Sept. 18. The number of volunteers has grown from 1,200 to more than 12,000 during the past six years.

Projects in dozens of countries from Europe and Asia to Africa and the Americas include:

Renovating schools, planting trees and cleaning up parks by 750 employees in South Africa

Cleaning public areas, collecting food and school supplies by 100 employees in Philippines

Setting up a computer lab, sponsoring a school outing and cleaning parks by 200 employees in China

Planting 1,500 tropical trees along roadway by 230 employees in Cambodia

Renovating a school and donating equipment by 200 employees in Thailand

Collecting clothes and sanitary supplies for impoverished girls by 100 employees in Kenya

Mentoring teens, repairing playgrounds and helping elderly by 100 employees in Germany

Cleaning beaches and forests, and repairing social institutions by 120 employees in Spain

Restoring trails for wheelchair access in Belgium

Providing meals, clothing and organizing medical check ups for orphans in India

Building houses in El Salvador and Honduras

Painting a school and providing school supplies in Trinidad and Tobago

Collecting food and toiletries, and repairing nursery and social service offices in Brazil

Installing playground equipment, distributing food, repairing schools and restoring environmentally-sensitive areas by more than a thousand Ford employees in the United States.

"As America and the world reflect on the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Ford and its employees are working together to realize our vision of a better world," says Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Co. Fund and Community Services. "Ford volunteers are helping local communities provide the necessary services to bring comfort and relief to people in need."

As part of Ford Global Week of Caring 2011, select non-profit agencies in the United States will share $70,000 in grants as part of a focused effort to address shelter and housing needs.