Indiana University, Kelley School and Whirlpool partner on fifth Habitat for Humanity build in Bloomington
New home will be built Sept. 24 to Oct. 4 near IU Memorial Stadium
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Sept. 24, 2014) – Construction will begin Sept. 24 on the fifth Habitat for Humanity home that will be built with a Bloomington family by Indiana University students, faculty and alumni on campus, with support from Whirlpool Corp.
Since 2010, four Bloomington families have accepted their house keys on the football field at IU’s Memorial Stadium, not far from where the houses were built. This fall, Tracey Hodge, an IU Health Bloomington Hospital employee, and her son Dante, will become the fifth family to work with hundreds of volunteers on a home and raise awareness about the importance of quality affordable housing in the community.
The build dates encompass back-to-back home football games of the IU Hoosiers with the University of Maryland on Sept. 27 and the University of North Texas on Oct. 4. The Hodges will receive the keys to their new home before the North Texas game. The house will be moved to its final location the following day.
“Our mission on the IU Bloomington campus extends well beyond the borders of our campus; we also seek out meaningful community outreach opportunities,” said IU Bloomington provost and executive vice president Lauren Robel. “I have long served as a volunteer and board member with Habitat for Humanity and am so pleased to support this continued partnership with Whirlpool to help build a home with a hard-working local family.”
“This is one of our favorite projects, and it represents several of Kelley’s core values: teamwork, leadership and being of service,” said Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff chair of Strategic Management. “I’m proud that so many of our Kelley students, faculty and staff participate in this build.”
A lifelong Monroe County resident, Hodge is a lab assistant at IU Health Bloomington Hospital and is a single mom raising a teenage son with Asperger’s syndrome and other health issues. The house has been designed and will be equipped to accommodate Dante’s disability.
“I feel honored and appreciate being part of the IU/Whirlpool build,” said Hodge. “This means I can stand on my own two feet. It means showing my son that even though you struggle, if you work hard enough and apply yourself and work with people, that you can do what you set your mind to.”
Kerry Thomson, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County, said the Hodges have worked very hard to make their dream of homeownership a reality. To qualify for a Habitat home, each family must have the ability to pay a nonprofit mortgage and invest at least 250 hours of “sweat equity” or volunteer hours.
“This build is one of the best examples of community partnership,” Thomson said. “The Kelley School of Business along with Whirlpool Corporation and the many advocates for affordable housing come together with all their best gifts to create lasting change – one family at a time.”
More than 400 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 15 Kelley and IU campus organizations will volunteer to be part of the build, along with faculty, administrators and alumni, including those now working at Whirlpool. Among them are Chris Ball, general manager for laundry at Whirlpool and an IU Kelley graduate.
“We are honored to take part in making homes affordable for families across the country by providing a refrigerator and range for all newly built Habitat homes,” Ball said. “However, giving back to my alma mater and working side by side with the Hodges to make their dream a reality is especially gratifying.”
The build is part of Whirlpool-sponsored Habitat builds taking place throughout the United States in 2014 and the company’s ongoing initiative to donate a range and refrigerator to every new Habitat home in the U.S. and Canada.
Whirlpool, a partner since 1999, will donate approximately 5 million to Habitat for Humanity in 2014, bringing its total commitment to more than 84.5 million and more than 80,000 families impacted.
About Whirlpool Corp.
Whirlpool Corp. is the world’s leading global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately 19 billion in 2013, 69,000 employees and 59 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world. The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names. It works to earn the trust of consumers in nearly every country by focusing on what matters most. Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat has helped more than 4 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and supports a variety of funding models that enable families with limited resources to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.