Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is continuing to support the first responders and communities that surround their plants. A series of announcements today confirmed those efforts and showcased new initiatives.
“There has never been a more important moment to help children and their families with vital needs in our communities than during this time of great uncertainty,” said FCA CEO Mike Manley.
The company is in the process of converting a plant to produce face masks for donation to first responders and health care workers. So far, the machinery has been delivered and installed.
The face masks will be donated by FCA to police, EMTs, and firefighters, as well as to workers in hospitals and health care clinics. Supply and donation are forthcoming on a timeline of weeks not months.
Many sources are reporting that there is a worldwide shortage of masks, as well as respirators, ventilators, and various types of protective gear.
Additionally, FCA Is working with non-profit organizations to provide more than 1 million meals to provide school-age children in the communities around their key manufacturing plants in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. There are plans for the program to be extended nationwide and onto Canada and Mexico.
Most children in the U.S. are out of school due to the coronavirus epidemic.
No Kid Hungry, a charity that works to combat childhood hunger, estimates that over 234 million children in the U.S. alone are now at risk of going without meals as they rely on schools to provide meals.
