General Motors partners with Habitat for Humanity to revitalize neighborhoods and strengthen communities
ATLANTA (Oct. 30, 2018) — General Motors, building on its commitment to safe and sustainable communities around the world, is partnering with Habitat for Humanity to support a five-year neighborhood revitalization effort to create viable and measurable change for low-income residents in underserved neighborhoods. The company’s more than $400,000 donation, in addition to volunteer employee engagement, will support Habitat communities in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh.
“We are thrilled to partner with General Motors, a company with its own history of empowering communities,” said Rebecca Hix, director of neighborhood revitalization for Habitat for Humanity International. “Together, our goal is to collaborate with these communities in identifying their strengths, planning around their challenges and ultimately strengthening the fabric of their neighborhoods, making them an inviting place to call home.”
Habitat launched Neighborhood Revitalization in 2010 as a strategic approach to community development that seeks to transform communities into vibrant, safe, sustainable places to live. The strategy works to form community coalitions with strong resident leaders to assess, endorse and implement plans to achieve neighborhood goals such as safety improvements, employment opportunities, transportation solutions and creation of green space.
Creating safe environments for individuals to prosper and thrive is one of the reasons General Motors is proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity,” said Heidi Magyar, director of Corporate Giving at GM. “This investment serves as a foundation to help improve the quality of life for current and future residents.
General Motors’ support of two communities will mean additional investment and support toward revitalization efforts. Projects are likely to include neighborhood planning, community gardens, home repairs and neighborhood clean-ups.
In total, Habitat is working with 10 communities across the nation as part of the five-year neighborhood revitalization effort. These communities are part of a learning cohort that will test Habitat’s quality of life framework, a tool developed to identify areas of focus, track progress and document change in ways that are measurable over time.
Learning cohort communities are located in Moncks Corner, S.C.; Pittsfield, Mass.; Charlottesville, Va.; Lafayette, La.; Los Angeles; Muncie, Ind.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Tucson; and Dacono, Colo.
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.
About General Motors
General Motors is a global company committed to delivering safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, Baojun, Wuling and Jiefang brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, and Maven, its personal mobility brand, can be found at http://www.gm.com.