Habitat and Bank of America
Building together
Nikki, a young mother who says that her Habitat house is the first stable home she has known since elementary school.
Brian and Victoria, parents who desperately needed more space and a safer environment for their growing family.
Liu, who spent much of her time walking long distances until volunteers helped her install direct access to clean water in her home.
Claudia, a mother of two freed from the worry of unpredictable increases in rent.
Zanaye, Nicholas and Noah, three youngsters whose health and well-being are no longer jeopardized by an apartment filled with mice and a neighborhood filled with trouble.
For three decades, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Bank of America has helped families like these build and improve places to call home.
Sprung from the early years of Habitat’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project — whose third year was hosted in Charlotte, Bank of America’s headquarters — the partnership has continued to grow, totaling $75 million of support for Habitat’s work around the world, with more than $55 million in cash and property donations to Habitat for Humanity International.
“We recognize that affordable housing is critical to put individuals and families on a path toward long-term success, from educational outcomes to career advancement. We’re honored to partner with Habitat for Humanity in support of our shared goal to build thriving communities.”— Kerry Sullivan, president of Bank of America Charitable Foundation
This past fall, to celebrate 30 years of building together, Bank of America held its third annual Global Build, a week during which nearly 2,000 employees around the world helped build affordable Habitat homes and participated in community revitalization projects.
“I’ve been asked why I think Habitat is such a popular opportunity with our employees. I really believe it is because everyone understands that an affordable home is foundational to a family’s success — what a home means in terms of better education, better health,” says Brenda Suits, a senior vice president in Bank of America’s environment, social and governance group.
Employees are drawn, she says, to the opportunity to build alongside families on their journey to homeownership. “We understand how much they have invested, all of the sweat equity, all of the classes to get to this point. Volunteers on these job sites come from all walks of life, from all socioeconomic levels. But we are all there working hand in hand, side by side, with each other.”
It’s that hands-on involvement in helping families build better lives, she says, that truly resonates. Her first build in Charlotte will always be special. “I still drive by the house periodically and say, ‘I helped build that family’s home.’”