Rebuilding Together and Lowe's Heroes Join Carter's Kids and Environmental Media Association to Revitalize San Fernando Community

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Jul 18, 2011, 03:54 ET

Carter Oosterhouse, Amy Smart and volunteers build new outdoor fitness playground and sustainable garden at Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy; neighborhood homes receive renovations

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2011/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, the nation's leading nonprofit working to preserve affordable homeownership, will partner with Carter's Kids, Lowe's Heroes and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) July 19-20 to build a new fitness playground and sustainable school garden for the Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy in San Fernando, Calif. Volunteers will renovate three homes near the school to assist local residents in need.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090421/REBUILDINGLOGO)

HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse and actress Amy Smart will join more than 200 Lowe's Heroes and volunteers from Carter's Kids, EMA and Rebuilding Together to lift hammers and trowels to improve the school located at 1218 4th St.

"This project is a great opportunity for Rebuilding Together to team up with Lowe's and Carter's Kids, as well as the EMA, to collaborate and find the common ground that exists in our respective work," said Gary A. Officer, president and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "We are all committed to building healthier, safer communities by providing the funding, volunteers, and education necessary to create real change."

The 325 students attending the Nueva Esperanza Charter Academy will have a new fitness playground and residents of the community will now have a safe place to play and an accessible, sustainable garden.

Rebuilding Together, the Lowes Charitable and Educational Foundation and Carter's Kids have joined together with the common goal of revitalizing neighborhoods across the country. Through the support of EMA, the new playground and sustainable garden will promote healthy and active lifestyles as well as hands-on learning for the students of Nueva Esperanza.

This is the third of six projects that Rebuilding Together, Lowe's and Carter's Kids will complete together this year. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation has donated $400,000 to support the playground projects in low-income communities across the U.S. Earlier this year, the volunteer teams installed new playgrounds and revitalized communities in Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colo.

Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing extensive rehabilitation and modification services to those in need at no cost to those served. With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America's largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners and the communities in which they live by completing 10,000 projects per year. Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to, energy efficiency, veteran's housing, aging in place and gulf coast reconstruction. www.RebuildingTogether.org.

Lowe's
Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education, has brought more than $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2005. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity International and the American Red Cross. In 2010, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. www.Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility

Carter's Kids
Founded by HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse, Carter's Kids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America's youth. The purpose is to increase the activity level of kids by building and developing community parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. The kids then have the opportunity to take an active part in building up their community by using, sharing, and caring for these public spaces. At Nueva Esperanza, Carter's Kids has designed a unique play area that will help students improve their strength and cardiovascular fitness levels. www.carters-kids.org/

Environmental Media Association
EMA mobilizes the entertainment industry in a global effort to educate people about environmental issues and inspire them into action. The EMA School Gardens Program supports gardens in urban areas. From reading, to science, math and nutrition, learning becomes an adventure in the hands-on laboratory of a school garden. School gardens provide a fun environment to learn about important topics such as healthy food choices and protecting the environment.

The EMA Young Hollywood Board mentors and actively engages students in the garden programs. From planting and tending the gardens to speaking to students about healthy eating choices, EMA Young Hollywood Board members including Amy Smart, Carter Oosterhouse, Olivia Wilde, Rosario Dawson and Matthew Rhys interact with and share in the joy children derive from the gardens. Young actors and actresses serve as role models to millions of people, especially youth. Through their actions, celebrities can inspire youth in their formative years. www.ema-online.org

SOURCE Rebuilding Together