Lowe's Renews Commitment to Habitat for Humanity International With Pledge of $20 Million
Five-year commitment represents increase over past funding
ATLANTA, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity International announced today that Lowe's is extending its ongoing commitment to Habitat's affordable-housing work across the country with a new five-year, $20 million commitment.
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"We realize our help in building affordable housing and promoting safe, secure communities is more relevant than ever," said Robert A. Niblock, Lowe's chairman and CEO. "As an organization committed to improving the communities we call home, we believe that extending our partnership with Habitat for Humanity will help these communities continue to address the tremendous need for affordable housing."
Lowe's new commitment to Habitat through 2013 will bring the company's aggregate Habitat contributions since 2003 to nearly $40 million. With the renewed commitment, Lowe's will continue to underwrite Habitat's Women Build program, a national volunteer movement encouraging women to learn construction skills and make a difference by building homes and helping to end poverty housing. This includes sponsorship of "National Women Build Week," a nationwide homebuilding initiative leading up to Mother's Day, and funding for a variety of build projects across the country.
Through 2008, Lowe's has supported nearly 1,500 Habitat houses built or renovated in the United States with grants ranging in size from $1,000 to $50,000. Additionally, Lowe's is one of Habitat's largest disaster-relief donors, contributing nearly $3 million domestically to Gulf Coast Recovery and internationally to Habitat's Asian Tsunami recovery effort.
Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, emphasized that the effects of Lowe's support go well beyond the funding contributed and houses built.
"The generous contributions of our partners have a financial impact that goes well beyond the construction and renovation of homes," Reckford said. "Every time Lowe's helps Habitat -- with funding or by sharing their expertise at an in-store clinic or through countless employee volunteer hours on the build site - those efforts create a ripple effect that is felt throughout the entire local community. New construction always inspires hope. Lowe's generosity will bless untold numbers of people, especially during these difficult times."
Profiles of a few of the families touched by Lowe's commitment to Habitat for Humanity are available here.
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 2008, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $25 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(R) 50 company with fiscal year 2008 sales of $48.2 billion and has more than 1,650 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.
About Habitat for Humanity InternationalHabitat 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 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International
