Today, Ford Motor Company and Ford Philanthropy celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Ford Community Center in Stanton, Tennessee, in collaboration with local partners, including United Way of West Tennessee.

Hosted at the historic Stanton School, the site of the new Center, the ceremony marks the beginning of a transformative project aimed at enhancing the lives of long-term residents and uplifting the entire community.

“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.”

New Opportunities for a Historic Community

The Ford Community Center will be located at the historic Stanton School at 5 Lafayette Street in Stanton, Tennessee. The unique community-engagement process to launch the Center resulted in a public-private partnership that will restore a critical piece of local history, repurposing the historic school, which was built in 1948 to educate African American students before desegregation.

With support from the State of Tennessee’s Connected Community Facility Grant, a Historic Development Grant and matching funds from Ford Philanthropy, the schoolhouse will undergo a full historic renovation and upgrades to modern infrastructure including broadband access, to serve as the Ford Community Center for Stanton and the surrounding communities.

The new Center will offer a collaborative space for nonprofits, community members, and local leaders to support long-term residents. Anchored by United Way of West Tennessee, the Center will provide services focused on economic mobility, food security, physical mobility and entrepreneurship 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.”

Partners

This project was made possible by the collaboration and support of the following partners, including 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.