(Mar. 21) Home Depot has announced a five-year, $30 million donation to Habitat for Humanity, part of a national green building initiative through the retailer's Partners in Sustainable Building. The program will provide funding and resources with the aim of building 5,000 "energy-efficient and sustainable homes" by Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

The $30 million pledge includes financial, in-kind support, technical resources and training costs to "establish a foundation of green building expertise that will impact Habitat builds for years to come." Green certification will be determined by third-party, nationally recognized groups that provide green building standards, and the funding will help Habitat affiliates secure verification in their respective regions. In addition to energy efficiency, the homes will also be rated for indoor air quality and water conservation standards.

The Home Depot Foundation's Partners in Sustainable Building program will provide energy-efficient and sustainable building resources for approximately 17 percent of all single- and multi-family homes built by Habitat for Humanity over the next five years, according to the company.

"Our organization supports the construction of homes for families that are healthy to live in and affordable to own," said Kelly Caffarelli, president of the Home Depot Foundation. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Habitat to create additional opportunities for thousands of families of modest means to experience the economic and health benefits of green building practices. We believe that the impact of this program will be far-reaching and will add to the long-term success of families and communities across the country."

The Home Depot and Habitat are no strangers. In the past, Home Depot has used individual store donations and new home builds to support Habitat. But the Partners in Sustainable Building program is the first formal partnership between the two in the United States.

"This partnership will provide our affiliates with the additional resources and training they need to create homes that are more durable and energy efficient, which will make them even more affordable to our homeowners," said Jonathan T.M. Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "We are truly grateful to The Home Depot Foundation for making this partnership possible, because it will improve the lives of thousands of low-income families while promoting good stewardship of our natural resources."

Green building has been the hottest topic of late in the construction industry, as highlighted at February's International Builders' Show, which saw the unveiling of a new green building initiative by the National Association of Home Builders.

The Home Depot/Habitat partnership will kick off with a one-year pilot program, including approximately 30 Habitat affiliates in a variety of climates and in rural and urban areas, "to best gauge the impact of the program," the company said.

Owning a Home – A Dream Come True for a Seattle, Washington Associate
By Cathy L. Miller
Tue 19 Feb 2008

I started working with Bank of America in April 2001 in the NW Tax Reporting Unit. It’s been 7 years and I still love my job and all of the associates with whom I have the pleasure of working each day. Bank of America is a wonderful company for which to work and nothing has validated this belief for me more than the support I received from the company in realizing one of my greatest dreams: owning my own home.

I always dreamed of owning a home though the dream always felt unattainable.
My outlook began to change the day I picked up a flyer from the Fremont Public Association which contained an advertisement of a series of classes sponsored by the United Way on how to become a home owner. In the class, I discovered that they would match my investment 3 to 1 up to $2,000 for a down payment toward the purchase of a home. I went to all the classes faithfully for the entire year and each payday I put what I could into a savings account.

After one year, I completed the class, received a completion certificate and felt ready to find my new home. Unfortunately, my initial efforts were discouraging because everywhere I looked, the prices were too high. I began to despair and started to believe that I was never going to be able to buy a home. Despite these feelings, I continued to save for the down payment and deep down, I continued to believe that I would eventually find the right home.

Once again, my hope was rewarded when I picked up a flyer advertising a meeting hosted by Habitat for Humanity.

My hopes were reignited when I went to the meeting and learned that I qualified but the process could take up to a year. A few months later, I was overjoyed when I received a call from Habitat informing me that I was accepted to receive a home at Patterson Park!

I could barely contain my excitement. I knew a lot of hard work was in front of me, but these concerns quickly diminished when compared to the prospect being an actual homeowner. Part of my arrangement with Habitat for Humanity required that I complete 500 hours of sweat equity. Making the arrangement even more agreeable was the condition that allowed 200 of those hours to be done by volunteers.

Fortunately, I had resources available to me where I could find some volunteer assistance. I contacted the Bank of America Volunteer Network and The First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. Between Bank of America and my Church, I was able to find the manpower necessary for the 200 volunteer hours in no time at all.

I was deeply moved by the generosity and selflessness of everyone who volunteered. Seeing all these people volunteer to take time out of their busy lives in order to help build homes for myself and the other families was overwhelming. After these individuals had fulfilled their 200 hour commitment, they continued to assist me and the other Habitat recipient families. I was especially delighted to see my manager, Linda Roberson and some of my co-workers and their spouses participating in the effort.

All of these events made me appreciate my good fortune.

But this wasn’t even the best part.

I recently learned that Bank of America sponsored my home! I felt overwhelmed with joy and appreciation all over again. I am very proud that Bank of America cares about people and is always looking for ways to help them achieve their goals.

On February 9, 2008, with my friends and family at my side, Mike Olson, Northwest SFO Market President, presented me the keys to my home. After so many months of saving, searching and hoping, I had finally made my dream come true. I will be moving into my new home on March 1, 2008!

Thank You

Cathy L. Miller
Sr Operations Representative
Bank of America