Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Kicks Off Second-Annual Week of Caring by Volunteering at Ten Metropolitan Detroit Nonprofit Organizations

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, one of the leading automotive financial services providers in the U.S., is mobilizing 500 volunteers across Metropolitan Detroit to deliver ten nonprofit organizations more than 3,000 hours of volunteer service during the company's second-annual Week of Caring.

Week of Caring is a week-long community service campaign that Mercedes-Benz Financial Services implements in the communities surrounding the company's four U.S. locations (Detroit, Mich.; Fort Mill, S.C.; Fort Worth, Texas; Montvale, N.J.). In total, more than 1,000 employees are anticipated to volunteer at 22 organizations during the week of September 8, 2014.

"Week of Caring is a signature program that fosters our team members' passion for giving back to organizations close to where we live and work," said Peter Zieringer, President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. "I am proud of my fellow colleagues, who will be lending a helping hand, totaling more than 3,000 volunteer hours in just five days."

Volunteer projects vary, all of which will serve the communities surrounding the company's Farmington Hills corporate headquarters. Project examples include: working with underserved students and families; planting and harvesting gardens; preparing and delivering food to the elderly; neighborhood cleanup and beautification; and helping build a home for a deserving Oakland County family. Participants will volunteer at a community project of their choice with one of the following Metro Detroit nonprofit organizations:

• Alternatives For Girls (Detroit, Mich.) http://alternativesforgirls.org/
• Beyond Basics (Southfield, Mich.) http://www.beyondbasics.org/
• Community Living Centers (Farmington, Mich.) http://www.clchomes.org/

<li>Crossroads for Youth (Oxford, Mich.) http://www.crossroadsforyouth.org/

• Eight Mile Boulevard Association (Ferndale, Mich.)  www.eightmile.org
• Focus: HOPE (Detroit, Mich.) www.focushope.edu
• Forgotten Harvest (Oak Park, Mich.) www.forgottenharvest.org
• The Greening of Detroit (Detroit, Mich.) www.greeningofdetroit.com
• Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County (Pontiac, Mich.) www.habitatoakland.org
• Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (Detroit, Mich.) www.unidetroit.org

"Social responsibility is an integral part of our Core Values at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services; it is a strategic pillar in how we define our corporate identity and how we do business," added Zieringer. "While we plan to make a significant impact this week, our commitment is alive and well all year round."

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services is focused on building long-term partnerships with organizations committed to creating positive social change in four focus areas: Education, Community Enhancement, Arts & Culture and Diversity & Inclusion. The company provides many opportunities for employees to give back beyond the Week of Caring. This includes an individual volunteer day, during which employees can spend a paid workday giving back to a nonprofit organization of their choice.

To follow the progress of Week of Caring, please visit:
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mymbfs 
Instagram:  #everycommunitymatters

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC  
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., with Business Center Operations in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand-specific financial products and services for Mercedes-Benz and smart automotive dealers and their retail customers. In the U.S. trucking industry, it conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and provides flexible financial products and services for Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas-Built Bus and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,700 employees throughout the Americas. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, which does business in 40 countries and has an employee base of more than 8,000 people worldwide. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.mbfs.com/corp or facebook.com/mymbfs.

About Daimler
Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. For many years now, Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. So in addition to vehicles with hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2013, the Group sold 2.35 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 274,616 people; revenue totaled €118.0 billion and EBIT amounted to €10.8 billion.

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Financial Services