Habitat for Humanity announces new initiative to support veterans
ATLANTA (Nov. 9, 2012) — Habitat for Humanity International today announced the launch of a new program to engage veterans, active duty service members, their families, and families of the fallen. The Habitat for Humanity Veterans Build program is being offered to Habitat affiliates across the country to help veterans and their families obtain safe, decent and affordable housing and to involve veteran and military communities in Habitat’s work.
“We are pleased to be able to support and work alongside veterans,” said Larry Gluth, Habitat’s senior vice president of U.S. and Canada operations. “Veterans Build expands the work many Habitat affiliates are already doing to help veterans. We look forward to partnering with other organizations committed to this cause. ”
The program has five major areas: affordable housing and home preservation; volunteer mobilization of military members, veterans and support groups; veteran employment recruitment; financial literacy and homeownership training; and recognition events.
More than 200 Habitat affiliates from around the country are already working to meet the critical needs of veterans and have been invited to enroll as official Veterans Build program participants. Over the next three years, the program aims to serve 1,000 veterans and their families.
The Home Depot Foundation, Habitat’s first partner in the Veterans Build program, has provided more than 2.7 million in funding to help more than 260 veterans make repairs to their homes.
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.