Employee volunteers participate in project to check in on retirees health and wellbeing

Turkey — Ford Otosan has reached out to its retired employees to check on their health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 lockdown.

As part of a platform called 'Gönlüm Senle', which translates to 'My Heart is with you', Ford Otosan volunteers have phoned retirees aged 60 and over, to say, "Please stay at home - you're so important to Ford Otosan. If you need assistance, our volunteers can help you."

The project—which has the slogan—'Just with a call, Ford Otosan is here for all'—has seen 124 Ford Otosan employees volunteer to contact more than 600 pensioners by phone.

Some 113 retires have so far responded, with many simply expressing their gratitude that they have not been forgotten during the Coronavirus pandemic. One said, "Thanks for your call. Please convey my special thanks to Ford Otosan for thinking about me."

Coordinator Dicle Kocaoğlu said the hundreds of retired employees have been contacted one-by-one. She added, "If they want to receive a call from a volunteer, we pass on their number to our team. We matched each retired person with a volunteer. Our volunteers have been calling their designated pensioner daily to check in with them to make sure they are okay. They have solved many of the retirees' problems."

Ford Motor Company holds a 41 per cent stake in Ford Otosan, which exports vehicles and parts to 96 countries on five continents. Ford Otosan has the largest and most advanced research and development facilities in the Turkish automotive industry. It employs more than 11,000 people and is a global hub for commercial vehicles and related powertrains.