Lowell High School Awarded $2,000 for student led teen driver safety campaign
Grand Rapids, Mich., March 5, 2012 - Local high school and college students are constructing and rehabbing four Habitat homes in Southeast Grand Rapids. Habitat for Humanity of Kent County and State Farm are working with students from Grand Rapids Community College Tassell M-TEC, Ferris State University Energy Center and Grand Rapids Public Schools Academy of Design and Construction to complete these neighborhood building projects.
Habitat Kent’s Education Partnership Program uses the construction of Habitat homes as a “green” building learning laboratory for students. This program trains students for cutting edge “green” jobs on LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) houses.
Students are working alongside Habitat building professionals, instructors and Habitat families to construct two new homes and rehabilitate two homes that were formerly vacant or foreclosed. This experience is helping students prepare for careers in design, engineering and construction by learning skilled trades as they invest their skills in the community and improve neighborhoods.
Habitat Kent and its partners have experienced remarkable success offering these service-learning experiences to young adults and many at-risk students in our community, not only providing them with skills, but with a positive direction.
Financial support is vital to completing this project. “It is the result of dedicated corporate and community sponsors, like State Farm, that Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is able to continue its goal to eradicate substandard housing in our community,” says Mary Buikema, Executive Director at Habitat for Humanity of Kent County. “State Farm’s support is an integral part of helping us combine education with community development through the Educational Partnership Program.” On average, each school builds one home a year resulting in four to six homes being built annually.
State Farm will be presenting Habitat Kent with a check supporting the Education Partnership Program. The check presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, March 13 at 1 p.m. at 452 Delaware St. SW, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503. Representatives from State Farm, Habitat Kent and Grand Rapids Public School Academy for Design and Construction will be present.
Angie Rinock - Public Affairs (269) 207-8006.
Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating substandard housing throughout Kent and Eastern Ottawa Counties. Founded in 1983, Kent County’s local affiliate has completed their 300th home and celebrates 29 years of serving the community. Since 2007, Habitat for Humanity of Kent County has been committed to building all LEED for Homes Certification. LEED for Homes Certified standards saves homebuyers an average of $1,000 per year in utility costs. Habitat for Humanity of Kent County is ranked 13th out of 1700 affiliates in the last national affiliate ranking by Habitat International and is the number one affiliate in Michigan.
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
