State Farm® renews long-time partnership with Habitat for Humanity

Youth will be engaged in projects across the country

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Jul 27, 2015, 11:24 ET

ATLANTA, July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- High school and college students in New Jersey are helping a family rebuild their home damaged by Hurricane Sandy thanks to a grant from State Farm. Celebrating the success of this project and 35 previously funded projects, State Farm and Habitat for Humanity are pleased to announce a partnership renewal that will continue to engage youth in affordable housing efforts across the country.

"We are so grateful to State Farm and its employees for continuing to not only help families improve their living conditions but to provide opportunities for youth to assist families in their communities," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "Putting shelter on the hearts and minds of youth at an early age is an important step to helping to alleviate poverty housing in the future."

State Farm is committing $800,000 to Habitat for Humanity to involve youth in home construction, neighborhood revitalization and disaster recovery activities. The funding will be used to support more than 25 projects that will either require youth groups to raise matching funds or directly benefit recovery efforts like those in New Jersey where two Habitat for Humanity campus chapters are using $22,000 in disaster services grants from State Farm to help Ana Henn and her granddaughter rebuild their home damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

"Part of the State Farm mission is to help people recover from the unexpected and to realize their dreams," said Kellie Clapper, Assistant Vice President of Philanthropy at State Farm. "What better way to do that than to not only help communities build homes for people in need but to engage youth so they too can learn that when good neighbors work together, we can help each other realize our dreams."

State Farm has supported Habitat for Humanity since 1994 and has served as the primary national corporate sponsor of Habitat's youth initiatives since 2007 with donations of more than $7.5 million. Youth volunteers have raised an additional $40 million through the grants. Local offices contribute more than $500,000 annually to Habitat affiliates across the United States.

About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat has helped more than 5 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and supports a variety of funding models that enable families with limited resources to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer visit habitat.org.

About State Farm®:
The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto, home and individual life insurance in the United States. Its 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve more than 82 million policies and accounts – nearly 80 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2015 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.