Rebuilding Together and Lowe's Team up to Renovate and Repair Four Milwaukee Homes

MILWAUKEE, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today volunteers from Lowe's of Milwaukee are dedicating their time and expertise to improve the homes of four local families.

The project includes work at the homes of homeowners such as:

    --  Mary, 65, suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lives
        alone on a very limited income.  She has lived in her home for more than
        35 years and cannot afford to make much needed repairs to her front
        door, interior and exterior painting, and her bathroom tub.
    --  Roosevelt, 75, has lived in his home for 37 years and lives on a limited
        income. His son and son's girlfriend care for Roosevelt and also
        live on a fixed income.  Major work will take place at the home
        including repairing interior doors, which are currently difficult to
        open, plumbing repair and replacement, interior painting of rooms,
        gutter and siding repairs, and sidewalk replacement to resolve water
        draining towards home.
    --  Candy, 55, lives with her daughter and her daughter's friend who
        are students. Candy suffers from Anxiety/Stress, Asthma, Post Traumatic
        Stress Disorder and back problems.  She has owned and lived in her home
        for two years and lives on an extremely limited income.  Work will
        include wood molding installed in many areas, light replacements,
        cabinets in kitchen, some electrical work, and painting some rooms.
    --  Dorothy has lived without a refrigerator for more than two years and is
        in need of major repairs.  Work at her home will include replacing
        kitchen cabinets and flooring, upgrading and replacing plumbing
        fixtures, replacing her hot water heater, repairing stairways and
        handrails, and replacing carpeting.  Lowe's also generously donated
        a refrigerator earlier this year.

These projects are made possible through a $1 million grant from Lowe's, and four of more than 100 Rebuilding Together projects awarded a grant following Lowe's annual Swing for Charity, a charitable golf event hosted by the company and supported by its vendors.

"To be a part of the community means you roll up your sleeves and work with neighbors to help make the lives of others better," said Lynnea Katz-Petted, Executive Director. "Through these efforts, Lowe's is committed to preserving and revitalizing the homes of the elderly, persons with disabilities and lower income families."

Other local sponsors and participants include Business Volunteer Council, Wisconsin Association of Home Inspectors, Lewis Electrical, and community volunteers.

"Homeownership is under threat today in America," said Gary Officer, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "With Lowe's and many other corporate partners, we are working to preserve homeownership, one of the most important elements of stability and sustainability in our communities."

"Lowe's is in the business of helping people improve and maintain their homes," said Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. "We are proud to partner with Rebuilding Together to renovate and modify homes for some of our community's most vulnerable residents. Lowe's shares Rebuilding Together's commitment to creating a safe and comfortable environment to accommodate a homeowner's special needs."

Rebuilding Together is America's largest volunteer-based home-repair organization bringing volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of homeowners in need. "Through our rebuilds this week, we're bringing warmth, safety and accessibility to homeowners who do not have the financial or physical wherewithal to complete home repairs and other necessary improvements," said Lynnea Katz-Petted.

ABOUT REBUILDING TOGETHER

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing home repair and renovation services free of charge to those in need. Through the support of corporate sponsors, local businesses and the hands-on work of over 200,000 volunteers led by more than 200 affiliates, Rebuilding Together renovates and repairs nearly 10,000 homes and nonprofit facilities annually.

In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together renovates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on elder home safety, energy efficiency, veterans housing, and gulf coast recovery.

For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee is part of the national organization, Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable home ownership and revitalize neighborhoods by bringing volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low-income homeowners. Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee's (RTGM) mission is to preserve and revitalize homes and communities, assuring that very low-income elderly homeowners and disabled homeowners, as well as families with children, live in warmth, safety and independence. RTGM is organized and operated for the purpose of helping Milwaukee seniors age with dignity and peace, in their own homes, by providing free repairs to elderly and disabled very low-income homeowners residing in Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. Since 2000 RTGM has rehabilitated 210 homes, 5 nonprofits and invested over $4.6 million into Milwaukee area housing. For more information or to get involved please contact Lynnea Katz-Petted at 414-704-1581 or visit www.rtmilwaukee.org.

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(R) 500 company with fiscal year 2007 sales of $48.3 billion and has more than 1,525 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee