Press Release

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ORANGE COUNTY TO BENEFIT FROM LOWE'S GIFT CARD EVENT

Lowe's of Westminster to match Gift Card purchases on January 17, 2009, to help build affordable homes for local families

Santa Ana, CA, January 8, 2009 -

Lowe's of Westminster Gift Card Event celebration and fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

All Lowe's gift cards purchased at the Lowe's of Westminster on Saturday, January 17, 2009, will be matched dollar-for-dollar (up to $2,500) with Lowe's in-store credit for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County to use to purchase building supplies. These items will be used by Habitat volunteers and families to build simple, decent, affordable homes in Orange County.

This is the perfect time to purchase a gift card for dad's birthday or for a special New Year's celebration gift. With each gift card you purchase, you'll know that you're not only giving a gift, you're helping to change lives for hard-working low-income families in Orange County who are searching for decent, safe, affordable housing.

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County volunteers will be on hand throughout the event to explain the Habitat program and answer any questions from attendees.

Lowe's of Westminster is a national partner of Habitat for Humanity International and is the underwriter for its Women Build program. In addition to contributing more than $2 million per year, employees from Lowe's stores volunteer on build sites and host How-To Clinics at stores to give volunteers hands-on practice on the basics of construction.

Lowe's of Westminster & Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Thursday, January 17, 2008 - 8 a.m.-7 p.m.

Lowe's of Westminster
13225 Beach Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683

Lowe's is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. In 2007, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $27.5 million to support community and education projects in the United States and Canada. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2007 sales of $48.3 billion and has more than 1,525 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

About Habitat for Humanity of Orange County

Celebrating 20 years of changing lives and changing communities in Orange County. 130 houses built in Orange County
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, headquartered in Santa Ana, CA, is dedicated to ending substandard housing and building strong communities in Orange County. Habitat uses non-government donations of funding, materials, professional services and volunteer labor to build simple, decent homes which are sold to qualified low-income families for a 1% down payment, closing costs, and a zero-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments are recycled to build more Habitat homes. Habitat families contribute 500 hours of "sweat equity" to the program by building their own home, helping another Habitat family build a home, or working in some other area of the Habitat organization. Habitat for Humanity families and volunteers have built 130 homes in Orange County since 1988, and are currently building eight homes in San Juan Capistrano.

27 homes to be built in San Juan Capistrano
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s Habitat for Heroes and Foundations for Families™ development of 27 homes at the end of Calle Rolando will be built in phases.  Framing for the first four homes began on July 2, 2008.  The second four homes were framed on October 3, 2008.  Funding for the land on which these homes are being built was donated by the City of San Juan Capistrano Redevelopment Agency.  Funds for building these homes have been generously donated by The HTN Foundation; Bank of America; the Orange County Realtors Partnership, which consists of the Orange County Association of REALTORS®, Laguna Board of REALTORS®, and Newport Beach Association of REALTORS®; an anonymous donor;  the Steve Tisch Foundation; Toshiba America Business Solutions; the Presbyterian Partnership; St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point; Hyundai Motor America; the Van Cleve Foundation; and more than a thousand other local donors.

300,000 houses built worldwide
Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, an ecumenical Christian housing ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat International has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. Habitat for Humanity International is currently the 16th largest homebuilder in the United States, according to Builder OnLine magazine.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, please call (714) 434-6200 extension 229 or visit our Web site at habitatoc.org.

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