Press Release

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County Goes "Green"

Habitat families are offered an eco-friendly class called Square Foot Gardening in partnership with Toshiba America Business Solutions

Santa Ana, CA, March 5, 2009 -- Habitat for Humanity of Orange County announces the launch of their expanded Habitat family classes for Habitat homeowners and program families.

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County is offering a new gardening class to Habitat homeowners and program families called Square Foot Gardening. With Square Foot Gardening, homeowners learn about maintaining a healthy garden by using organic methods, crop rotation, and Square Foot Gardening techniques.

In cooperation with Toshiba America Business Solutions, Toshiba will be donating eLumber for the 4'x4' garden boxes. eLumber is made from 100% recycled polystyrene and related styrenic plastics and comes from used ink cartridges.

"We are excited about partnering with Toshiba America Business Solutions and being able to provide these recycled materials to the program families through Square Foot Gardening," said Mark Korando, Senior Vice President, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. "It will directly benefit our families and the planet."

Those families that complete the course will have a Master Gardener mentor assigned to them. The Master Gardener will assist the family at their home in deciding where to set up the garden and what to plant and will be available to a family throughout the year for advice on gardening. As a bonus the course will have information about landscaping their backyards.

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County with help from The Master Gardeners of Orange County, Toshiba America Business Solutions and Centennial Farm at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The course consists of three classes with the first class on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at 10 a.m.

The classes will be held at the Centennial Farm at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

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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