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Fiat Chrysler has extended the temporary shutdown of its U.S. and Canadian factories until April 14, at least, but it remains active in its efforts to help with the coronavirus crisis.
The automaker is teaming up with several organizations to help provide 1 million meals to children who normally rely on school meal programs near its major manufacturing facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
(AP)
It’s also looking to expand the program nationwide and currently donates 500 meals to No Kid Hungry for every Pacifica minivan it sells, with a goal of reaching 10 million meals by June 30.
The company is also in the process of retooling one of its reopened factories in China to produce protective face masks to be donated to first responders and health care workers in the U.S. and globally, and plans to do the same at other facilities when possible. Additionally, it has been offering assistance to a ventilator manufacturer in Italy to help it ramp up production.
At least four U.S. Fiat Chrysler employees have died after testing positive for the coronavirus, Automotive News reported.
“In this time of need, we’ve focused our resources on those actions we can implement quickly and that will have the greatest impact, as we did in Italy as soon as the emergency started,” CEO Mike Manley said in a news release on the actions.
