The town of Stanton, Tennessee is celebrating the opening of a brand-new Ford Community Center, made possible by Ford Philanthropy and a number of other local partners, including United Way of West Tennessee. The opening of the center, housed in the historic Stanton School, is the start of a project aimed at enhancing the quality of life for locals and uplifting the community as a whole. Other collaborators in the project include the Town of Stanton, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, The Cannery, Feonix Mobility Rising, Le Bonheur Community Health and Well-being, Mid-South Food Bank, Stanton Health Center, theCO, Vision Haywood, West Tennessee Legal Services, YMCA, Haywood County Schools, Tennessee College of Applied Technology, Haywood County, Lauderdale County, Tipton County and the Town of Brownsville.
“Today’s groundbreaking is the culmination of many hours of listening, learning and collaborating with local residents, nonprofits and community leaders about what’s needed most, and we can’t wait to realize the full potential of this unique space,” says Mary Culler, President of Ford Philanthropy. “By uniting resources, services and, most importantly, people, our aim is to create meaningful opportunities for growth and connection for all residents in the area, now and for years to come.”
The new Ford Community Center is located near BlueOval City, Ford's new electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility in West Tennessee. In order to better understand local needs, inform the project, and develop impactful solutions for the lives of West Tennessee's long-term residents, Ford Philanthropy conducted 2,500 hours of listening sessions while designing the community center to serve the community, including the towns of Brownsville, Covington, and Somerville.
“Thanks to the support of Ford Philanthropy and the State of Tennessee, families who have called this community home for generations will have new opportunities to benefit from the economic growth coming to West Tennessee,” says Matt Marshall, president and CEO of United Way of West Tennessee. “Households in and around the BlueOval Impact Zone will be able to come by, call, or click to get real help from real people– help that moves them forward and upward. Whether it’s financial empowerment, legal support, health or hunger needs, and so much more, the team at the Ford Community Center will be ready to help people holistically address their greatest challenges and pursue their greatest dreams. We’ve listened to the needs of the community and United Way couldn’t be more grateful to help coordinate these services.”
“We will see the benefit of Ford’s historic investment in West Tennessee for generations to come, and today, we celebrate another milestone for the Stanton and Haywood County communities,” said Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter. “The Ford Community Center will be a vital resource to this region and is testament to the cohesiveness and strong relationships we have fostered statewide.”