Person faces a pile of tree branches blocking a path to a building. Clad in an orange helmet and chaps with a yellow coat with silver reflective markings they prepare to cut the branches.

On February 28, an EF1 tornado with wind gusts of 100 mph touched down northeast of Marshall, Michigan, just 100 miles west of Ford World Headquarters. The tornado track covered almost five miles, uprooting hundreds of trees and causing severe damage to homes, barns and power lines.

Within hours, Greyshirt volunteers from Team Rubicon, Ford and Ford Fund's disaster relief partner, were on the ground assisting survivors, tarping roofs and removing debris. The team even cleared trees to help rescue an elderly woman who was trapped inside her home.

Ford and Ford Fund's investment in Team Rubicon provides ongoing support for the veteran-led organization to train and deploy volunteers across the country so they can deploy as soon as disasters strike.

Downed trees and branches piled and felled so high that is all that fills the image

You, too, can sign up to help Team Rubicon rebuild communities after disasters strike. Here are two ways you can help now:

1. Donate
Donate to Team Rubicon's Ready Reserve Fund to ensure Team Rubicon can deploy as quickly as possible.

Donations are focused in three critical areas: Response, Recovery, and Resilience. By giving to the Ready Reserve Fund, your investment ensures vulnerable households in Michigan will receive the services they need.

Male with beard wearing orange helmet, ear protection, dark tan vest over burnt sienna hoodie and orange with black pants and safety boots drags tree branches away from a pile, toward camera

2. Volunteer
• Sign up to volunteer by registering to become a Team Rubicon Greyshirt.
• Complete the online training so you are prepared and ready to help in the recovery efforts when the call comes in.
• By becoming a Greyshirt you will receive text alerts for current operations in your region.

To learn more, follow Team Rubicon on Instagram and check out their new 13-episode series on Roku.