Lowe’s Contributes $70,000 Grant to Muncie Habitat for Humanity

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By: Sheena Peters—

Lowe’s contributes $70,000 grant and volunteer support to build community gardens, board up vacant homes, and lift community spirts.

 Muncie, IN – Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers were among more than 50 volunteers to join forces with Muncie Habitat for Humanity on both July 22 and 23 to revitalize a Muncie neighborhood. Lowe’s awarded Muncie Habitat a $70,000 grant to help complete the project.

Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers participated with neighbors from the area in creating a community garden at 10th and Sampson. In addition, two vacant lots were cleaned up and turned into safe and fun spaces for residents to use and enjoy. Sidewalks were cleaned and vacant homes were boarded up with artistically painted boards, made to look like windows.

Lowe’s awarded $1.5 million in grants to 19 Habitat for Humanity organizations across the country to support more than 400 community projects as part of Habitat’s Neighborhood Revitalization program, an effort to serve more families through community development partnerships. A national partner since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat for Humanity and helped more than 5,500 families improve their living conditions.

Lindsey Arthur, CEO of Muncie Habitat for Humanity had this to say about this one of a kind event, “Working alongside Lowe’s Heroes the last two days has been amazing. We have accomplished so much together—and most importantly, their support has encouraged neighbors, friends and residents that true revitalization in this area is possible. Thanks Lowe’s for helping our ideas to come to fruition.”

  “The last 2 days have been a tremendous experience in partnering alongside our community. The majority of our employees don’t just work in Muncie, they live here and I was blown away by their eagerness to serve, said Brenda Tharp, store manager of Lowe’s of Muncie, “In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, we have been able to make a big impact on the neighborhood in a loving way, I feel privileged to be a part of such a life changing project.”

 

About Muncie Habitat for Humanity

For 30 years, Muncie Habitat for Humanity has built and rehabilitated homes in partnership with volunteers. Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs houses using volunteer labor and donations. Habitat houses are sold to families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.

Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.

As an expanded approach to its work, Muncie Habitat is focusing upon “Neighborhood Revitalization.” Neighborhood Revitalization is a holistic approach that expands Habitat’s traditional partnership with new homeowners and volunteers to include neighbors and local organizations for a far greater impact.

While new home construction continues to play a vital role, a bigger toolbox that includes repairs and other services allows Habitat to serve more families. Neighborhood Revitalization starts at the grassroots level — with people in the community determining the goals for their neighborhood. In Muncie the 8 Twelve Coalition is working together to bring about positive change in the Thomas Park and South Central neighborhoods. Visit http://www.muncieneighborhoods.org/2016/06/24/8twelve-coalition/ for more information about the 8 Twelve Coalition and its work.

About Lowe’s in the Community

Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $250 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.

 

Sheena Peters is Account Manager, Whitinger Strategic Services