TALLADEGA, Alabama (Nov. 2, 2009) – Leadership development will be the focus during the annual Habitat for Humanity National Service Leadership Conference, November 2–6, at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center in Talladega. More than 600 AmeriCorps members currently serving with Habitat for Humanity will participate in trainings about disaster preparedness, construction safety and sustainable building practices. The seminars will benefit more than 100 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in 27 states and the District of Columbia, where the members currently serve.
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service and includes AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps Vista and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps. Habitat for Humanity International was one of the first organizations to partner with AmeriCorps when it was founded 15 years ago.
“In the current challenging economic times, service and volunteerism are more important than ever,” said Larry Gluth, vice president of Habitat for Humanity International’s United States and Canada Area Office. “We are grateful to the Corporation for National and Community Services’ AmeriCorps members for their leadership, hard work and commitment to service that enables Habitat to serve more families in need of decent and affordable housing.”
The 2009 conference theme—“Serve, Learn, Lead”—will provide networking opportunities and highlight the skills needed to better communities worldwide.
During the 2007–2008 program year, AmeriCorps members helped Habitat for Humanity mobilize approximately 200,000 community volunteers to build 1,700 homes, while also generating more than $7 million in donations and gift-in-kind resources. Since 1994, AmeriCorps members have performed more than 5 million hours of service to help build more than 8,000 Habitat houses.
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year the Corporation engages more than four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to meet local needs through its Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America programs. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.
