Volunteers to Create Healthy Livable Communities During NeighborWorks Week

For Immediate Release
June 1, 2006
Contact: Sherry Saunders, NeighborWorks® America, (202) 220-2360; ssaunders@nw.org
Or: Caroline Counihan, The Home Depot, (770) 384-2944; Caroline_Counihan@homedepot.com.

Volunteers To Create Healthy, Livable Communities
During National NeighborWorks Week, June 3-10

(Washington, D.C.)–More than 40,000 people and over 180 organizations nationwide will participate in 350 community projects to improve and maintain their neighborhoods during the 23rd annual National NeighborWorks® Week, June 3-10. Volunteers will repair homes, plant trees and community gardens, and learn how to transform their communities into better places to live, work and play during the largest annual volunteer community-revitalization week of service.

For the second consecutive year, NeighborWorks America and The Home Depot Foundation will bring together thousands of volunteers and community members to demonstrate that working together to improve neighborhoods during NeighborWorks Week can improve the quality of life, overall health and economic success of communities. The Home Depot Foundation is the exclusive Home Improvement sponsor of 2006 National NeighborWorks Week.

“History demonstrates that improving both the physical and human infrastructure in neighborhoods creates vibrant, healthy communities that attract and keep strong families and business investment and make neighborhoods more livable. The many successful projects completed by these volunteers during NeighborWorks Week are important steps to a long-term commitment to healthy communities,” said Kenneth D. Wade, CEO of NeighborWorks America.

NeighborWorks America has been strengthening communities and transforming lives across America since 1978 by supporting innovative local partnerships consisting of residents, businesses and government, collectively known as the NeighborWorks network. There are now more than 240 local NeighborWorks member organizations serving more than 4,400 communities across America. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $10 billion in community investments and helped more than 780,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes or secure safe, sound rental or mutual housing.

“Through our partnership with NeighborWorks America, we are able to support The Home Depot Foundation’s mission of creating healthy, livable communities through the integration of affordable housing built responsibly and the preservation and restoration of community trees,” said Kelly Caffarelli, executive director, The Home Depot Foundation. “On June 8, over 1,000 The Home Depot volunteer associates will participate in 10 major community-revitalization events across the country as part of National NeighborWorks Week, which supports our mission of giving back. In one day, these volunteers will make significant physical changes in their communities, but the impact of bringing neighbors together will last well beyond the day's events."

As the world's largest home improvement retailer, The Home Depot embraces its role as a leader in social responsibility and celebrates its long-standing commitment to volunteerism. Giving back is a fundamental value of The Home Depot and a passion for its associates; with 355,000 associates, the company is uniquely equipped to drive sustainable, tangible change in its communities.

The Home Depot's associate volunteer program, Team Depot, was formalized in 1992 as a way to support the communities where its associates live and work. Through The Home Depot Foundation, Team Depot and ongoing partnerships with nonprofit groups, including NeighborWorks America, The Home Depot donates millions of hours, tools and supplies each year to community service projects.

While the successes of NeighborWorks Week demonstrate the power of partnerships in tackling community development challenges, it also shows the long-term value of the involvement of individuals living in the communities as they work together to create healthy vibrant communities. Local NeighborWorks partners and community volunteers and Team Depot will participate in the following revitalization events:

The Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis will paint houses, repair fences and improve landscaping on 14-18 homes in a one block area.
Chicago Neighborhood Housing Services will restore a community garden, signage and fences as well as make repairs to front porches in South Chicago.
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Housing Services will renovate a local community center.
In Georgia, Cobb Housing will frame two houses and landscape a 31-unit subdivision.
Community HousingWorks of Escondido, Calif., will paint houses and landscape to spruce-up two-blocks in the City Heights area of San Diego.
In two Washington, D.C. housing facilities, Marshall Heights Community Development Organization will build a patio, paint, landscape, and retrofit common areas to accommodate the physically disabled.
Miami-Dade Neighborhood Housing Services volunteers will paint, landscape, repair roofing and retrofit shutters before hurricane season.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Baltimore will fix up the interior and exterior of a community center.
Pocatello (Idaho) Neighborhood Housing Services will renovate the old railroad Signal Shop in order to create community space and a farmers market.
Vallejo (Calif.) Neighborhood Housing Services will paint a dozen houses.

*A complete list of National NeighborWorks Week activities is available at www.nw5.org/events/

About NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America provides financial support, technical assistance and training for communities across the nation, including the NeighborWorks network – a nationwide network of more than 240 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities across America. These organizations engage in revitalization strategies that strengthen communities and transform lives. In the last five years alone, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $10 billion in reinvestment and helped more than 780,000 families of modest means purchase or improve their homes or secure safe, decent rental or mutual housing.