Professional builders partner with Habitat for Humanity for nationwide Home Builders Blitz, presented by Ply Gem
ATLANTA (June 2, 2016) – To support Habitat for Humanity’s work in local communities throughout the U.S., professional builders in 31 states will work alongside nearly 250 Habitat homeowners to build or repair a place they can call home during Habitat’s nationwide Home Builders Blitz, June 6-10.
Across the country, Habitat recruits and partners with professional builders who provide labor, funding and materials, giving local Habitat organizations the ability to empower more families through shelter, without the usual tasks of raising funds and recruiting volunteers. This year, Ply Gem, a North American manufacturer of building products, is the presenting sponsor for Habitat’s Home Builders Blitz.
“The professional builders who selflessly take time out of their busy and profitable construction schedules to participate in Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz are true community heroes,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Over the course of the previous five blitz builds, professional builders have partnered with Habitat across the country to build, repair or rehab more than 1,500 homes. We are grateful for their donation of time, funds and talent, which enables hundreds of Habitat homeowner families each year to build the foundation for a better life.”
Habitat launched its first Home Builders Blitz in 2006, four years after Habitat for Humanity Wake County and local builder Tom Gipson recruited 12 homebuilders in North Carolina to donate their time to each build a house in five days.
“Home Builders Blitz is going to be an exciting week for Ply Gem to partner with Habitat for Humanity,” said Gary E. Robinette, chairman and CEO, Ply Gem. “We are thrilled to sponsor this worthwhile effort and look forward to being a part of the homebuilding process across the country – helping families in need of affordable housing have a place they can call their own.”
Ply Gem’s presenting sponsorship of Habitat’s Home Builders Blitz is one component of the Home for Good project – a multi-year initiative that includes the donation of more than 1 million of performance siding and windows and funds for Habitat to use to help families build nearly 300 homes in 2016 alone. Ply Gem has partnered with country music icon Alan Jackson to serve as the project’s ambassador. His song, “You Can Always Come Home,” is the anthem for the Home for Good project, emphasizing that having a place to call home is both fortunate and comforting. To close out the build week, Jackson will help dedicate a Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity home outside of Nashville, Tennessee.
Additional support for Habitat’s Home Builders Blitz is provided by Comdata, Panasonic Ventilation, Martin Marietta, MASCO Corp., US LBM Foundation and Columbia Forest Products.
For more information about Habitat’s Home Builders Blitz, please visit http://www.habitat.org/events/homebuildersblitz.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has grown from a grassroots effort that began on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976 to a global nonprofit housing organization in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in over 70 countries. People 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 Ply Gem Holdings
Ply Gem, headquartered in Cary, N.C., is a leading manufacturer of exterior building products in North America. Ply Gem produces a comprehensive product line of windows and patio doors, vinyl and aluminum siding and accessories, designer accents, cellular PVC trim and mouldings, vinyl fencing and railing, stone veneer and gutterware, used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Canada. Visit www.plygem.com for more information.
About Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who have written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica. The man from rural Newnan, Georgia, who claims he is just a “singer of simple songs,” has sold nearly 60 million albums worldwide and ranks as one of the 10 best-selling vocalists of all time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles—registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 No. 1s, including 26 Billboard No. 1s. He has earned more than 150 music industry awards, including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson received the first ASCAP Heritage Award in 2014, having earned the title of most performed country music songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Grand Ole Opry.