Three-day building blitz part of the bank's most recent $6 million commitment to Habitat for Humanity International AMARILLO, Texas, Oct. 8
AMARILLO, Texas, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 50 Bank of America
associate volunteers and Amarillo Habitat for Humanity will join together to
build three new Habitat homes in Amarillo over the next three days. The
effort reflects a longstanding commitment by Bank of America to create
opportunities that enrich the lives of families throughout the region, and the
fifth consecutive year the bank has selected a Texas community in which to
build three homes simultaneously.
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The homes, funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation's most
recent commitment to Habitat for Humanity International, will be located on
Terry Street in the Whittington Addition #1 development. The three families
are required to complete a combined 1,500 'sweat equity' hours building other
families' houses as well as their own.
"Bank of America is pleased to further Habitat's efforts in our community
and to provide affordable housing for working families like the Gibsons,
Matthews and Medellins," said Carolyn Balzar, Amarillo president, Bank of
America. "Creating more affordable housing is imperative in Texas and in
communities across the country. Bank of America has partnered with Habitat
for Humanity for the past 20 years, and I am thrilled our team is here today
to help make these families' dreams a reality."
Announced last year, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation continued
its support of Habitat for Humanity International with a $6 million donation
to increase the nonprofit's capacity to provide quality, affordable housing
for families worldwide. Habitat for Humanity will utilize the funds to
support their general operations as well as finance home construction and
renovation for families around the world.
"We're grateful not only for the resources that will substantially impact
our work, but also for the enthusiasm with which Bank of America associates
display through volunteering, ultimately making the joy of homeownership a
reality for this working family," said Steve Smart, executive director,
Amarillo Habitat for Humanity.
What began 20 years ago as a home sponsorship program has become an
expanded and multifaceted partnership. Under former Bank of America Chairman
and CEO Hugh McColl Jr.'s leadership, a commitment to Habitat turned the Jimmy
Carter Work Project into a 14-house "blitz build" in Charlotte and the first
worldwide House Raising Week. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation has
donated more than $14 million to home-building efforts with Habitat for
Humanity International since 2002. The corporation has also given $600,000 to
Operation Home Delivery, Habitat's hurricane recovery project. In addition,
Bank of America associates contribute more than 25,000 volunteer hours
annually to Habitat for Humanity home builds across the country.
"We are thrilled to have all of the Texas Team Bank of America volunteers
here and appreciate all their sweat equity and the bank's larger commitment to
helping create vibrant communities across Texas," said Debra McCartt, mayor,
City of Amarillo. "The partnership between Amarillo Habitat for Humanity and
Bank of America is a true demonstration of how public-private partnerships can
make our community a wonderful place to live, work and play."
Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
Building on a long-standing tradition of investing in the communities it
serves, Bank of America will embark in 2009 on a new, ten-year goal to donate
$2 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the health and
vitality of their neighborhoods. Funded by Bank of America, the Bank of
America Charitable Foundation gave more than $200 million in 2007, making the
bank the most generous financial institution in the world and the second
largest donor of all U.S. corporations in cash contributions. Bank of America
approaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence"
under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing
needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate
volunteers contributed more than 650,000 hours in 2007 to enhance the quality
of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of
America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit
www.bankofamerica.com/foundation .
Amarillo Habitat for Humanity
Amarillo Habitat for Humanity, Inc., an Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity
International, is a nonprofit organized to perform the essential community
purpose of building and selling to low income families decent housing in a
decent neighborhood community.
SOURCE Bank of America
