Habitat for Humanity Build 2008
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NEWS RELEASE
WNBA's ATLANTA DREAM JOIN WOMEN BUILD DAY WITH ATLANTA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Lowe�s providing $15,000 to support townhouse build for three new Habitat homebuyers
The Women Build program brings women from all walks of life together to learn construction skills and then use those skills to be part of the solution to providing affordable housing for working families. In addition to its role of Women Build underwriter, Lowe�s also provided a $15,000 grant to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to support the townhouse build, making the dream of homeownership a reality for three new Habitat homebuyers.
The homes on Lakewood Avenue will add to the more than 970 Habitat for Humanity houses built by Atlanta Habitat in the City of Atlanta and Fulton County to date.
�Through Lowe�s ongoing commitment to Habitat, we see first-hand the impact Habitat makes on people�s lives every day,� said Kristi Green, store manager of Lowe�s of Atlanta. �While Lowe�s grant supporting the townhouse build enables us to help address the issue of affordable housing in our community, my colleagues and I find the opportunity to offer our construction know-how on the build site to be an equally worthwhile investment� an investment of our time and energy.�
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity kicked off construction of this new building model in May. As one of the city�s most productive affordable housing builders, Atlanta Habitat introduced two-story attached townhouses to its housing mix to use valuable land more efficiently and ultimately to keep homes affordable.
The townhouses are being constructed using �green� building practices adopted in 2004 when the affiliate began building all houses to EarthCraft House certification standards. Construction on the townhouses differs from Atlanta Habitat�s single-family detached home process, with some steps, such as stairs and all upper roofs, undertaken by an outside vendor. Volunteer activities on the exterior are completed from scaffolding and include installation of all doors and windows, siding, and trim, as well as painting. A total of 90 volunteers each week also provide significant interior construction work on both floor levels and the completion of all low roof areas.
�The Dream players, Lowe�s of Atlanta women volunteers and all our volunteers know how important affordable housing is to the City of Atlanta and how significant this build is to families working to realize their dream of home ownership,� noted Larrie Del Martin, Executive Director of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. �The efforts of these outstanding Women Build volunteers are rewarding on so many levels.�
About Atlanta Habitat for Humanity
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, one of more than 1,600 U.S. affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing to Atlanta�s working families. Since 1983, volunteers from corporations and from faith-based and civic organizations have worked in partnership with qualified homebuyers to construct affordable, green, quality homes in Atlanta, which are then purchased through no-interest, no-profit mortgages. To date, Atlanta Habitat has built more than 970 homes in the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. The organization plans to build 60 homes in 2008, its 25th anniversary year, and celebrate the completion of its 1,000th and 1,001st homes by year end. For more information about Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.atlantahabitat.org or call 404-223-5180.
About the Atlanta Dream
The Dream tipped off their inaugural season at Philips Arena with back-to-back sellouts on May 23 and May 25, 2008. The team was officially announced as the 14th team in the WNBA on October 17, 2007. The Dream are members of the WNBA�s Eastern conference which also includes the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Detroit Shock, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty and Washington Mystics. For more information and to purchase season tickets, fans can call (404) 604-2626 or visit www.AtlantaDream.net. Fans may obtain single-game tickets by calling (404) 249-6400 or by visiting www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets also will be available for purchase at the Philips Arena box office.
About Lowe�s
Lowe�s is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. In 2007, Lowe�s and the Lowe�s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $27.5 million to support community and education projects in the United States and Canada. Lowe�s also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe�s Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe�s is a FORTUNE� 50 company with fiscal year 2007 sales of $48.3 billion and has more than 1,575 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 225,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.