<a:blue>Celebrating the Groundbreaking </a:blue> of the New Ford Community Center in Stanton

Five persons including Dr. Clarice White, project champion and Stanton School alumna, Hassan Hammoud, Senior Manager of Essential Services for Ford Philanthropy, Mary Culler, President of Ford Philanthropy, adding dirt to a pile with shovels at the base of a ramp leading to Stanton School.

Since the announcement of BlueOval City in 2021, Ford Philanthropy has proudly partnered with the Stanton community to build a shared vision for a brighter future. Working closely with local leaders and organizations like the United Way of West Tennessee, Ford Philanthropy is helping create meaningful opportunities for growth and connection in the region. Friday marked a significant milestone with the groundbreaking of the new Ford Community Center located at the historic site of the Stanton School.

These services, designed with and for local residents, will help ensure that the community thrives alongside the development of BlueOval City. The goal of the Center is to serve as a "front door" to the rich diversity of services already available in the area, add others that are needed, and ultimately help people thrive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv2vFytnuaA

With funding from the state of Tennessee's Connected Community Facilities 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.

"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," Mary Culler, President of Ford Philanthropy, said during the groundbreaking event. "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."

Blue and white sign, Coming Soon Ford COMMUNITY CENTER at BlueOval City with partner logos, sits aside large white tent with a handful of people underneath.

Building Together

To better understand local needs, Ford facilitated more than 2,500 hours of listening sessions to help inform and co-create meaningful solutions that enhance the lives of West Tennessee's long-term residents.

Ford Philanthropy invites the community and Ford employees to remain actively involved—whether by volunteering, attending events, or sharing feedback. We look forward to helping make the Ford Philanthropy Community Center a vibrant hub of opportunity, growth, culture and innovation, serving the Stanton and neighboring communities for years to come.

Group of 15 people, including Dr. Clarice White, project champion and Stanton School alumna standing on the ramp outside the Stanton Community Center.

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.

Stanton Community Center brick building, angle

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Stanton Community Center brick building, front
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Stanton Community Center with numeral 5 above an exterior door
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Interior view of white double doors that lead outside. Windows above doors painted white.
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Hassan Hammoud, Senior Manager of Essential Services for Ford Philanthropy and Dr. Clarice White, project champion and Stanton School alumna, discuss with plans for the Ford Community Center on the wall between them.
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Room with beige walls, six windows with blinds and plastic coverings, window air conditioner and a stove.
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Room with beige walls, two windows with blinds and plastic coverings, two stoves, double sink next to a cabinet with shelves atop and doors on the bottom. An exit door is visible.
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A Stanton School classroom that was used to host Head Start program until 2011. Lower half of two walls painted blue. Blue, crimson, yellow and Kelly green splotches frame white and orange areas of a wall. A rusted red table stands in front of a wall with a yellow section.
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Wall-mounted pencil sharpener in a Stanton School classroom that was used to host Head Start program until 2011. Lower half of two walls painted blue. Blue, crimson, yellow and Kelly green splotches frame white and orange areas of a wall, the door frame, a window and decorate the wall in a horizontal line.
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Dr. Clarice White, project champion and Stanton School alumna, and Mary Culler, President of Ford Philanthropy, in front of the Ford Community Center.
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Back portion of Stanton School showing window air conditioner, steps leading to a yard with a metal slide and bordered by a metal chain link fence.
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Green and white HAYWOOD CO sign beside the road with green pasture in the background.
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