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HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTY AND CITY OF DELRAY BEACH TO “ROCK THE BLOCK” SATURDAY, APRIL 6 Seeking Company/Service Organization Sponsors to Spruce Up “A Home of Their Own” Alongside Leadership, Employees and/or Members DELRAY BEACH, Fla. (March 13, 2018) – For a second year, the City of Delray Beach and Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County (HFHSPBC) are partnering to “Rock the Block” with neighborhood revitalization of homes in The Set district on Saturday, April 6. The partnership provides the opportunity for 12 businesses and service organizations to become “Rock the Block Home” Presenting Sponsors and revitalize a “house of their own” working alongside leadership, colleagues, employees and/or members. Through HFHSPBC, each presenting sponsor donates or raises $2,500 to underwrite the construction materials, tools, paint and painting equipment and landscaping costs and then brings out their own supporters to transform their actual “Rock the Block” home together as a team while working alongside the homeowner. Homes have been identified within a three-block radius that qualified to be “Rock the Block” homes available for sponsorship based on the homeowner’s financial need. Homeowners range from seniors, veterans, people with disabilities or health issues to families with young children who live in Delray Beach and own their homes. The work will be led by HFHSPBC’s team of construction professionals, Habitat’s elite Volunteer “Dream Builders” and Crew Leader Partners from Home Depot’s ”Team Depot”. To prepare the selected homes for the big day of impact, volunteer groups will spend several weeks doing advance priming and preparations. “This dynamic initiative provides companies and service organizations a meaningful and impactful way to sponsor and bring out their teams of volunteers to personally connect and get to know the neighbors they are partnering with in the community,” noted HFHSPBC Vice President & Chief Development Officer Kari Oeltjen. “Through their charitable contributions and hands-on volunteer work, businesses achieve corporate social responsibility and professional and service organizations fulfill missions as they make a lasting impact.” To date, the 2019 “Rock the Block” Presenting Home Sponsors include Team Apple; Bella Homes; CenterState Bank; City of Delray Beach and Delray Beach Community Improvement; Habitat Young Professionals; Home Depot Team Depot; Posh Properties; Shamrock Restoration; St. Andrews School; Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.; Wells Fargo and Vertical Bridge. Supported by long-time Program Sponsors Delray Beach CRA, Home Depot and Sunflower Landscaping, the day will be powered by food donated from Chick Fil-A (Delray Beach) and refreshments served by the City of Delray Beach. Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County, City of Delray Beach “Rock The Block” Through the City of Delray Beach and its Community Redevelopment Agency, thousands of individuals have worked together for the past three decades to paint more than 200 houses for low-income residents. Oeltjen noted that the “Rock the Block” partnership has been a natural fit, created following HFHSPBC’s successful 2017 Veterans Build Neighborhood Revitalization done in participation with City officials and staff. Randy Nobles, HFHSPBC President and CEO shared that the “Rock the Block” initiative is just one opportunity of many that HFHSPBC offers in which Presenting Home Sponsors can bond while participating together in helping to revitalize or build safe, affordable homes while strengthening whole neighborhoods and the community .” HFHSPBC embraces the global mission of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat’s decades of work illustrate that individuals and families thrive when they have a safe and stable home in a safe and stable community. Its neighborhood revitalization efforts launched in 2010 as a response to the worst economic and housing crisis in decades. Low-income families experienced heavy job losses, leading to increased housing insecurity and seriously deferred home maintenance. “We are pleased to once again partner with the City of Delray Beach on this revitalization project,” Oeltjen. “The collaboration successfully integrates housing with other community development measures that help us in working toward a world where everyone has a decent place to live,” continued Oeltjen. For more info on HFHSPBC, contact HFHSPBC Vice President & Chief Development Officer Kari Oeltjen at [email protected] or (561) 819-6070.