HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RAISES WALLS ON MILESTONE HOMES
WITH GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA
~ Organization celebrates 2,000th home built in Canada and 200th home built by Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg ~
(WINNIPEG) June 18 – Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston, today joined Habitat for Humanity Canada in Winnipeg to erect the walls of the organization’s 2,000th home and Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg’s 200th home. The Governor General – as patron of Habitat for Humanity Canada – and his wife expressed their congratulations for reaching this milestone by building alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers and families, as well as the Right Honourable Edward Schreyer, former governor general of Canada, who also participated on the build.
“Over the last 26 years, Habitat for Humanity in Canada has provided safe, decent and affordable homes to more than 8,000 Canadians, including approximately 6,000 children,” said Stewart Hardacre, president and CEO, Habitat for Humanity Canada. “It has been a pleasure to watch these families involve themselves in their communities, enjoy better health and improved education, and get better jobs as a result of owning their own home. Watching them break out of the cycle of poverty makes all the hard work worthwhile.”
Building 2,000 homes in less than 26 years has taken time, effort and resources. To date, Habitat for Humanity has worked with more than 300,000 volunteers in Canada, who have logged more than 11.2 million hours on build sites. These volunteers, working under the direction of trained professionals, have hammered 35.4 million nails and screwed in 56,000 light bulbs. They have also installed more than 3,000 toilets, 5,000 sinks, 24,000 windows and 36,000 doors, and applied 80,000 gallons of paint to help transform the houses into homes.
Habitat for Humanity’s 2,000th home in Canada, sponsored by The Home Depot Canada, is located at 871 Nairn Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba – next door to Habitat for Humanity for Humanity Winnipeg’s 200th house, sponsored by Schneider Electric. The 2,000th house will be a two-story side-by-side home with three bedrooms and will be approximately 1,200 feet. Construction is expected to be complete this November when Jeffrey, Rowena and their son and daughter will take possession of the home. The family currently lives in a cramped one bedroom apartment with very poor insulation and no nearby space for the kids to play. Before hearing that they had been approved for Habitat homeownership, they felt cramped, isolated and trapped without any escape. Now, they have a newfound sense of hope and are ecstatic at the opportunity of affordable homeownership.
About Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization working for a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. The mission of the organization is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty.