Aug 11 2005
As Habitat for Humanity celebrates the building of its 200,000th home, one of its largest global sponsors, Whirlpool Corporation, has announced an expanded level of commitment to the organization. By its 100th anniversary in 2011, the company has pledged to support "Every Habitat home, Everywhere, with Everyone."
This means that by the end of 2011, Whirlpool will either provide appliance donation support, house sponsorship or financial support for every Habitat home built around the world. Since 1999, Whirlpool has donated a refrigerator and range to every home built in North America. In addition, the company also provides substantial support to Habitat's work in Europe, Mexico and South Africa.
"The strength of our partnership with Habitat for Humanity is driven by the hearts and personal involvement of our employees," said Ted Dosch, Whirlpool's corporate vice president and controller as well as the executive sponsor of Whirlpool's partnership with Habitat for Humanity. "Habitat literally changes people's lives - not just for Habitat homeowners, but also the volunteers and donors who get involved with Habitat. Being able to contribute to every Habitat home built around the world is the fulfillment of a dream that we had when we first forged this partnership back in 1999."
"Whirlpool has taken on a true leadership role in this issue," said Paul Leonard, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity. "We're celebrating a major milestone this week - the building of our 200,000th home. That never would have been possible without the support of concerned corporations like Whirlpool and Lowe's, Centex, Dow and many others. The only way we are going to achieve our goal of eradicating substandard housing is if even more companies and organizations partner with us in this important work."
Whirlpool Corporation's donations reach beyond appliances, with more than 3,800 Whirlpool employees donating their time and skills to Habitat builds in their hometown communities. As the single largest philanthropic program in Whirlpool Corporation's nearly 100-year history, the company estimates it has helped more than 30,000 families since launching its partnership with Habitat in 1999.
"This program has always been about more than just donating products and resources, but about touching and building the lives of people," said Jeff Terry, senior manager of Habitat for Humanity for Whirlpool. "The families who live in Habitat homes, the Whirlpool employees who volunteer on builds, and all of the people touched by Habitat around the world are at the heart of this partnership. This partnership was founded on the simple notion that the home is the heart of the family and on what makes a home - people. This will always be the foundation on which we build this partnership into the future."