Habitat World Online


Linda Fuller (left), co-founder of Habitat for Humanity International, visits on site with volunteers from the Whirlpool Corp.

Partners in Progress: Hammering Toward Habitat's 200,000th House

Every 26 minutes Habitat for Humanity builds a decent, affordable house with a family in need.

Less than two years from now, when we expect to hand over the keys to the 200,000th house built by Habitat for Humanity, more than 1 million people will be living in simple, decent Habitat homes.

Partnerships are essential to fulfilling this vision. Many partners, including corporate partners who invest money, volunteer labor, building materials and leadership, emerge through our More Than Houses fund-raising campaign. Though their cash and product donations are vital in carrying out the work, their involvement goes deeper than can be measured in dollars and their impact stretches literally around the globe.

For example, beyond their $5 million "Cornerstone Society" gift, the Andersen Corporation and Andersen-related foundations, have made special connections for the past 10 years with Habitat homeowners like Bobbie McGee, whose house was one of five houses Andersen volunteers helped build in a single week in St. Paul, Minn. At week's end, she said, "I felt like I'd known them for years, and it had only been five days." To celebrate its 100th anniversary this year, Andersen has committed to building 100 Habitat homes across the United States.

Over the past decade, The PMI Foundation--another Cornerstone partner in the More Than Houses campaign--has made its own connections with families around the world by partnering with affiliates in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The PMI Foundation has served as a major supporter of Habitat's Senate Build program, the Congress Building America program and several Jimmy Carter Work Projects.

To date, the More Than Houses campaign has raised $351 million toward the goal of $500 million needed to reach that 200,000-house milestone. Your support of this vision-whether your donation can be large or small--is critical. It means more than houses to those in need--it means hope and a better life.

To learn how your company or family can donate to HFHI through its More Than Houses campaign, please contact John P. Cerniglia, senior director of campaigns, at (800) 422-4828, Ext. 2108, or via e-mail at jcerniglia@hfhi.org.