Two Homes in Five Days

San Diego Habitat for Humanity Partners with Swinerton Builders to Construct Two Homes in Five Days

2011 Builders Blitz will provide homes for two Oceanside families in need

SAN DIEGO, California, July 18, 2011 – From August 1 through August 5, 2011, San Diego Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with Swinerton Builders, will construct two homes – from the ground up – in five days.  This an annual event is called the Home Builders Blitz – construction will take place 24 hours a day and will include nearly 500 volunteers building homes for two families in need in Oceanside.

The Home Builders Blitz represents a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the building industry to build homes across the nation. The first national Home Builders Blitz in 2006 brought together more than 1,000 professional home builders and 130 Habitat affiliates across the country to build 459 homes in one week, providing housing for nearly 2,000 people. 

Partner Families qualify according to Habitat for Humanity’s family selection criteria – a demonstrated need for improved housing, the ability to repay a 0% mortgage, and willingness to partner with Habitat by completing 250-500 sweat-equity hours before moving into the homes.  

San Diego Habitat for Humanity has participated in the Blitz nearly every year since 2006, and each year has included a Community Build home that is completed solely with in-kind donations of materials and volunteer labor.  Sixteen homes have been built in San Diego County using the Blitz model, through generous partnerships with KB Home, John Laing Homes, Smith Brothers Construction, Turner Construction, Viking Construction, Mission Valley Christian Fellowship, PCL Construction and Swinerton Builders.  The 2011 Builders Blitz marks the third home that Swinerton has partnered with Habitat to build.

The Blitz will take place at The Libby Lake Village Community, located north of the Libby Lake Community Center off North River Road in Oceanside. The entire community will include twenty (20) single-family detached homes, including a new private street and cul-de-sac, a pocket park and underground utilities. There are four (4) 2-story floor plans including twelve (12) 4 bedroom and eight (8) 3 bedroom homes ranging in size from 1,374 to 1,810 square feet with attached garages.  We are currently in the fourth and final phase of the community, which includes 5 homes.  Habitat Partner Families have already moved in to the 15 completed homes.  

About San Diego Habitat for Humanity (SDHFH) San Diego Habitat for Humanity Inc. (SDHFH), the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit organization that builds simple, decent and affordable homes for ownership by local families in need.  Habitat partner families are selected on the basis of housing need, willingness to partner with Habitat and ability to repay a 0% interest mortgage loan. 

SDHFH is a faith-based organization that invites people of all backgrounds, faiths or no faith to join the effort in strengthening communities and changing lives. Habitat for Humanity exists through volunteer labor and contributions of money, land and materials, including purchases and donations to ReStore, SDHFH’s building supply thrift store. For more information, visit www.sdhfh.org  or call 619-283-HOME (4663).

About Swinerton IncorporatedThe Swinerton Family of Companies provides commercial construction services throughout the Western United States, delivering innovative construction solutions and outstanding customer service to a diverse range of business clients that demand exacting performance. Established in 1888, Swinerton formally incorporated in the State of California in 1908 and holds California Contractor License No. 92. Today, Swinerton offices are located throughout California, in Colorado, Hawaii, Texas, New Mexico and Washington.

Swinerton is committed to continued leadership in the construction industry by actively engaging in furthering the diversity of our employees and subcontractors, developing innovative technological tools, protecting and preserving the environment, and supporting our communities.

As a 100 percent employee-owned company, everyone at Swinerton has a vested interest in the successful delivery of superb services. Please visit  http://www.swinerton.com/ to learn more.

SD Habitat Facebook Contest

San Diego Habitat for Humanity Competing for $25,000 from The Home Depot Foundation in July Facebook Contest

SDHFH One of Four Nonprofits Competing in Foundation’s Aprons in Action Program; Winner to Compete for $250,000 in 2012 SAN DIEGO, CA, July 1, 2011 – San Diego Habitat for Humanity (SDHFH) has been selected as a finalist for Aprons in Action, The Home Depot Foundation’s unique Facebook voting program, and now has the opportunity to win a $25,000 gift card from The Home Depot. Voting begins July 1, 2011 and runs through July 31, 2011 at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation. The organization with the most votes will win the $25,000 prize, and be in the running for the grand prize of $250,000 at the end of the year-long program. The runner-up organizations from each month will receive $5,000 in The Home Depot gift cards.

During the Aprons in Action Contest, which began in April 2011, 11 monthly winners will be selected. In March 2012, Facebook fans will have the chance to help one of those 11 winners win the $250,000 grand prize. The organization that receives the second and third most votes will receive $150,000 and $100,000 from The Home Depot, respectively.

Working together, San Diego Habitat and 250 Team Depot volunteers have already come together to build two homes at Libby Lake Village in Oceanside. Passionate volunteers from Team Depot teamed up with SDHFH construction supervisors and did framing, worked on foundation trenches and forms, built a fence and a gazebo for a pocket park, planted trees, shrubs, sod, vines and flowers, laid pavers and mulch, assembled prefab countertops and installed and backfilled a retaining wall.

In this fourth round of the competition, San Diego Habitat for Humanity is competing against three other nonprofit organizations from across the country.

“Being selected for the Aprons in Action Program is an honor, and we are so thankful for the recognition,” said Chris Marek, Chief Officer of Development and Strategy of San Diego Habitat for Humanity. “A $25,000 gift card from The Home Depot will enable us to strengthen this community even further and to change the lives forever of families who will be provided the opportunity of homeownership. We encourage everyone to go to Facebook and vote for us!”

Across the country, The Home Depot Associates give back to their communities by volunteering their time and talents with local nonprofit organizations, like San Diego Habitat for Humanity. The Aprons in Action Program recognizes these successful partnerships and gives each of the featured nonprofits the opportunity to do additional work with Team Depot volunteers to better their communities.

“Aprons in Action is our $1 million effort to support the most active and engaged nonprofit organizations across the country,” said Kelly Caffarelli, President of The Home Depot Foundation.  “Over the course of this program, we’ll distribute $1 million to 48 deserving organizations from across the nationwide Team Depot network, allowing them to continue their great work serving our communities.”

How To Vote

Voting runs from July 1 at 9:00 a.m. ET through July 31 at 12 p.m. ET. Aprons in Action is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepot or www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

The final percentages of votes for each nonprofit will be posted on The Home Depot and The Home Depot Foundation’s Facebook pages on August 1 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

For more information and to view the program rules, visit The Home Depot on Facebook or go to http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/.

About San Diego Habitat for Humanity (SDHFH) San Diego Habitat for Humanity Inc. (SDHFH), the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit organization that builds simple, decent and affordable homes for ownership by local families in need. Habitat partner families are selected on the basis of housing need, willingness to partner with Habitat and ability to repay a 0% interest mortgage loan.

SDHFH is a faith-based organization that invites people of all backgrounds, faiths or no faith to join the effort in strengthening communities and changing lives. Habitat for Humanity exists through volunteer labor and contributions of money, land and materials, including purchases and donations to ReStore, SDHFH’s building supply thrift store. For more information, visit www.sdhfh.org or call 619-283-HOME (4663).

About The Home Depot FoundationIn 2011, The Home Depot Foundation committed $30 million over three years to nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the homes of economically disadvantaged veterans. Through Team Depot, the company’s associate-led volunteer program, thousands of Home Depot associates volunteer their time and talents to positively transform neighborhoods and perform basic repairs and modifications to homes and to the facilities serving veterans with critical housing needs. Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. To learn more and see our associates in action, visit http://www.homedepotfoundation.org/, follow us on Twitter @homedepotfdn, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

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