Building Dreams: For 12th Year, A-B Brewery Workers Turn into Weekend Construction Workers to Support HabiJax

Brewery Has Supported Organization with Volunteers, More Than $600K since 2000

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Apr 04, 2011, 08:00 ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dozens of volunteers from the Anheuser-Busch brewery have spent the last month building a residential home for a local family in Duval County through HabiJax, the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Construction began on Saturday, Feb. 26, when volunteers helped with framing. In subsequent weeks, the employees along with some family members and brewery retirees worked on windows, siding, interior and exterior painting, and landscaping.

The new home, featuring a modern and open floor plan, is scheduled for completion around April 9, with the new homeowner closing on the project later in April.

HabiJax builds and renovates affordable houses in the Jacksonville urban core, concentrating on neighborhoods targeted by the City of Jacksonville for revitalization.

"The financial support from Anheuser-Busch over the last 12 years has totaled more than $600,000, and for this we are very grateful," said Mary Kay O'Rourke, President & CEO of HabiJax. "But this generous financial contribution is just part of the story, because the brewery also provides enthusiastic and highly skilled volunteers. They lend their time and talents year after year to build high quality and affordable homes, and truly have made a difference."

Steve Foppe, general manager of the brewery, praised the employees' efforts and said their carpentry skills and past experience in building homes with HabiJax were especially valuable.

"The amount of heart and pride that goes into each build by our volunteers and the HabiJax leaders is extraordinary," Foppe said. "Everyone involved is motivated to do a great job to help the organization and to make a difference for a deserving new home owner. Our financial support is certainly necessary, but it's the enthusiasm that our volunteers bring to this effort – that's what's really special."

The future homeowner visited the Jacksonville brewery on Feb. 15 to let workers know how much their efforts are appreciated. At that time Jacksonville brewery employees presented HabiJax officials with a check for $65,000 from the Anheuser-Busch Foundation. Since 2000, Anheuser-Busch has contributed a total of $640,000 to HabiJax.

For the first time this year the Anheuser-Busch Nutri-Turf farm in Jacksvonville also lent a helping hand, donating 3,600 square feet of sod for the project. The farm, on two sites on the north side of Jacksonville, returns water left over from the brewing process to the environment to enhance wildlife habitat and to nurture a working farm that also provides opportunities for real-world conservation education.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.3 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

SOURCE Anheuser-Busch