Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation Announce National Expansion of Repair Corps Program

More than 260 Veterans and Their Families to Benefit from Home Repairs

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Jul 19, 2012, 10:30 ET

ATLANTA, July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity International and The Home Depot Foundation® today announced the national expansion of the Repair Corps Program, a joint initiative to remodel and renovate homes across the country for U.S. military veterans and their families. With $2.7 million in funding from The Home Depot Foundation, volunteer assistance from Team Depot, The Home Depot's associate-led volunteer force, the expanded Repair Corps Program will provide Habitat affiliates across the country with the resources to repair the homes of more than 180 veterans and their families. Training and technical assistance for the repair program will be provided by Habitat for Humanity International.

Eighty-four Habitat for Humanity affiliates in 30 states will participate, each receiving grants of up to $15,000 to help fund Repair Corps projects. Many of the participating affiliates are in communities with large veteran populations including, Charlotte, NC, Nashville, TN, Norfolk, VA and San Diego, CA. For more information about the participating affiliates, please email Habitat for Humanity International's Affiliate Support Center at [email protected].

Repair Corps was established last year through a pilot program to provide needed home repairs for veterans, including insulation, weather stripping and accessibility features, such as wheelchair ramps and wider doorways. Larger repairs such as roofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and structural improvements were also available. Partnering families agreed to repay a zero-interest loan that covers the repair costs, the payments from which are "recycled" into a revolving fund to assist more families in need of decent housing.

The pilot phase of the Repair Corps Program concluded May 31, 2012, with 30 Habitat affiliates having helped 81 veterans, including Cliff Easley, 57, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who served in the Army from 1977 to 1988 and for whom critical home repairs have made a tremendous difference.

"We had been saving up for years for a new roof, furnace and air conditioner, but due to an unstable economy and rising mortgage payments, we needed some help," he said. "We are so thankful for the Repair Corps partnership for providing us energy efficient units that are saving us money and keeping us safe and cool during this extremely hot summer."

The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every veteran has a safe place to call home. "The success of the pilot program demonstrates the vast need for affordable and quality home repairs for veterans and their families," said Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation. "Habitat for Humanity has its finger on the pulse of the needs of homeowners in communities nationwide, and we are proud that through the Repair Corps program, we are able to identify and help veterans whose homes are in critical need of repair."

For Habitat, this partnership continues its commitment to provide quality, affordable housing for low-income families.

"The Repair Corps program is another solid demonstration of The Home Depot Foundation's commitment to our mission and to families across the U.S. who urgently need decent homes," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "We are grateful for the Foundation's continued support and are excited about the ways in which these efforts will further help families and strengthen communities across the country."

About The Home Depot Foundation
The Home Depot Foundation is committed to ensuring that every U.S. military veteran has a safe place to call home. In April 2011, the Foundation pledged a three-year, $30 million initiative to address veterans' critical housing needs. Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $300 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit homedepotfoundation.org, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat's blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.

SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International