AmeriCorps members lend their hands during Habitat for Humanity Build-a-Thon
Annual event highlights the importance of service and the transformative power of a strong and stable home
ATLANTA (May 15, 2017) – As part of Habitat for Humanity’s annual AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon event, more than 350 Habitat AmeriCorps members and alumni will travel to select cities in May and June, to build, repair and landscape 22 homes.
For 18 years, AmeriCorps members have come together each year to engage communities and volunteers in blitz builds. This year, Build-a-Thon participants will work alongside Habitat homeowners on projects in Iowa, May 16-20 and June 12-16, and in Colorado, June 5-9.
- More than 250 members will build or landscape nine Habitat houses in Des Moines, Iowa.
- Over 100 members will build or landscape 13 Habitat houses in cities across Colorado, including Berthoud, Boulder, Longmont and Loveland.
Habitat’s annual Build-a-Thon events are organized to help meet the need for decent and affordable housing in the U.S., while celebrating the impact made through Habitat’s partnership with AmeriCorps.
“AmeriCorps members serve a critical role for Habitat by mobilizing volunteers, building Habitat affiliate capacity, helping communities recover after a disaster and engaging families and veterans,” said Mark Andrews, vice president, Volunteer and Institutional Engagement at Habitat for Humanity International. “As we see in our growing network of AmeriCorps alumni, service members are the future leaders in the affordable housing movement and beyond.”
Funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps is a network of National Service programs that engage more than 80,000 Americans of all ages and backgrounds in intensive service throughout the U.S each year. Habitat currently hosts more than 500 AmeriCorps members in 41 states and the District of Columbia, encompassing more than 160 communities.
“Habitat appreciates the FY 2017 funding designated for the Corporation for National and Community Service. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our friends and supporters in Congress to protect and grow these programs in fiscal year 2018 and beyond,” said Andrews.
For more than 22 years, Habitat for Humanity and the Corporation for National and Community Service have partnered together to build Habitat’s capacity to serve more families across the country. Thanks to the hands and skills of more than 9,500 Habitat AmeriCorps members, 26,000 families have an affordable place they can call home. Through the program, Habitat AmeriCorps members also gain job skills and a path forward, as well as engaging 3.5 million volunteers to invest in their own communities.
To learn more about Habitat AmeriCorps and how to get involved, visit https://www.habitat.org/americorps.
About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up 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 the Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages millions of Americans in service through AmeriCorps and Senior Corps and leads volunteer initiatives for the nation. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.