Ford opens Bangkok community centre

 The Bangkok centre is a partnership between the Ford Fund and several NGOs, aimed at investing in and bringing new resources to Bangkok’s historic Nang Loeng neighbourhood. Ford Fund hosted a kick-off event that brought NGO partners residents together to preview the facility and learn more about plans for the new community centre.
“Our mission at the Ford Fund is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better, and that’s exactly what our Ford Resource and Engagement Centres are designed to do,” said Mike Schmidt, director of the Ford Motor Company Fund. “Around the world, each of our FRECs provide access to resources and services that reflect the needs and culture of the surrounding community. We have excellent partners at FREC Bangkok, and we look forward to working together to bring new programmes and opportunities to the residents in this community.”
Ford Resource and Engagement Centers are an innovation from the Ford Motor Company Fund that bring non-profit partners together in a collaborative environment to support the surrounding community and help make people’s lives better. The newest center complements two that already exist in Detroit, in the US; and one in South Africa (2017) as well as one in Craiova, Romania (2018). 
FREC Bangkok is modeled after the original Center that opened in 2013 in Detroit, which has become an anchor in the vibrant community, assisting more than 85,000 people with food distribution, tax return preparation, education and job initiatives and legal assistance.
“Ford strives to build strong relationships and support communities where we operate, and FREC will takes Ford's community outreach in Thailand to a new level,” said Wichit Wongwatthanakan, managing director of Ford Thailand. “FREC Bangkok will foster meaningful relationships between Ford and residents of the community, delivering mutual and tangible benefits.”