American Home Shield Awards Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus (Ohio) $25,000 in its 'Challenge for Change' Campaign

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After an intense four-month effort that featured multiple lead changes and last minute resurgences, Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus came out on top in the American Home Shield Challenge for Change online voting campaign, receiving more than 72,000 votes and earning $25,000 for its Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

"We are humbled by and most appreciative of this amazing show of dedicated support from online voters in our central Ohio area and beyond," said Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus CEO E.J. Thomas. "These votes helped rally the community, and now we have $25,000 to build and restore our neighborhoods. We can't thank them enough."

Finishing just 5,458 votes behind, Habitat for Humanity-Tacoma/Pierce County, went into the final week of the contest in a virtual dead heat for the lead, and will receive a $15,000 award from American Home Shield. Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity finished third and will receive a $10,000 award.

"This $15,000 investment will improve the Lakewood neighborhood of Tillicum, and we are extremely grateful to our dedicated supporters and to American Home Shield," said Maureen Fife, Habitat for Humanity-Tacoma/Pierce County's Chief Executive Officer. "We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support."

The American Home Shield Challenge for Change, which began in late October 2010 and ended January 31, 2011, featured 15 select Habitat affiliates from across the nation rallying supporters to help win one of three prizes totaling $50,000 by voting daily at AHSChallenge.com.  

"We believe strongly that home ownership and proper home maintenance go hand-in-hand with building strong neighborhoods," said Dave Crawford, President and CEO of American Home Shield, one of the nation's leading home warranty companies. "Habitat for Humanity shares this commitment, and American Home Shield is pleased not only to have helped raise awareness about the great work that they're doing across the nation, but to now also invest in the work of these three affiliates."

Each award will benefit the affiliate's ongoing Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, an effort to improve local housing conditions by partnering with other community organizations to provide services such as home repair and weatherization that enhance the quality of life in struggling neighborhoods. Information on each affiliate's current revitalization efforts is available at www.ahschallenge.com. Participating affiliates included:

• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis (TN)
• Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity (WV)
• Habitat for Humanity Chicago South Suburbs (IL)
• Habitat for Humanity Genesee County (MI)
• Habitat for Humanity Indian River (FL)
• Habitat for Humanity Lake County (IL)
• Habitat for Humanity Morris County (NJ)
• Habitat for Humanity of Detroit (MI)
• Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus (OH)
• Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City (MO)
• Habitat for Humanity of Maumee Valley (OH)
• Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/ South King County (WA)
• Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. (MD)
• Habitat for Humanity Tacoma/Pierce County (WA)
• Habitat for Humanity Waco (TX)

For more information, including participating affiliates and official vote totals, visit AHSChallenge.com.

About American Home Shield

American Home Shield helped found the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains an industry leader, servicing 1.4 million customers across 49 states. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs over 1,700 employees and over 11,000 approved, independently insured contractors nationwide. American Home Shield is part of the ServiceMaster family of brands, one of the world's largest and most versatile service networks. The company's brands include TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic, and AmeriSpec.

About ServiceMaster

With a network of more than 5,100 company-owned and franchise locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world's largest residential and commercial service networks.  The company's high profile brands are TruGreen, TruGreen LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 27,000 corporate employees and a franchise network that independently employs over 31,000 additional people. The ServiceMaster family of brands serve more than 8.5 million customers every year and hold market-leading positions in residential and commercial lawn care and landscape maintenance, termite and pest control, home service contracts, furniture repair, home inspections, residential and commercial cleaning and disaster restoration. More information about ServiceMaster can be found at www.servicemaster.com.

SOURCE American Home Shield