Habitat for Humanity launches first-ever fleet of mobile response units to assist Sandy victims

ATLANTA, Dec. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Habitat for Humanity's first-ever fleet of Habitat Mobile Response Units will depart Atlanta today to assist communities in New York and New Jersey recovering from Hurricane Sandy. Chevrolet donated a total of 24  Express vans including 19  C-20 Panel Vans that will be specially outfitted with tools and equipment donated by Lowe's and the Robert Bosch Tool Corporation in Charlotte, N.C., on their way to the New York metro area. Chevrolet also donated five 15-passenger Express vans.

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"The Habitat Mobile Response Units are an exciting new offering from Habitat for Humanity that will assist families who need help with critical home repairs," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International. "With winter upon us and many families in need of support, these response units will facilitate our efforts in communities affected by Hurricane Sandy. We are immensely grateful to all the volunteers who will work alongside these response units this week and in the months ahead, and to Chevrolet, Lowe's and Bosch for their generous donations."

Habitat's "Repair. Rebuild. Restore." effort to assist with the long-term recovery of communities affected by Hurricane Sandy is underway and will provide families in need with critical home repairs, rehabilitations/reconstruction, weatherization and new construction. 

Upon its arrival, the Habitat fleet will immediately be put into service in Staten Island, N.Y., and Union Beach, N.J., where volunteers will be working to help rebuild affected communities. On Thursday, the mobile response units will be deployed to a dozen Habitat affiliates in the greater New York metropolitan area to carry out extensive clean-up and repair efforts.

"As the initial reports of Sandy's devastation recede from the headlines, now the hard work of recovery begins to help affected communities and people get back on their feet," said General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. "The Chevy Express vans are the just the right vehicles to carry the people and tools to get the job done."

"In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the whole country witnessed the power of people joining together to help others in need," said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe's director of community relations. "As Lowe's continues to support the long-term recovery of those affected, we recognize that collaborating with our national partners like Habitat expands the assistance we can provide to our neighbors in the Northeast."

"It is not often enough that Bosch is able to make a difference in people's lives on such a large scale," said Terry Horan, president and CEO of Robert Bosch Tool Corporation. "We are grateful that we have the right resources to help the victims of Sandy rebuild their homes and their lives, and we are honored to partner with Habitat for Humanity, Lowe's and General Motors to bring support and renewal to those recovering from the storm."

Following the storm, Habitat for Humanity International launched a multi-phase response to help affected communities. This effort includes a range of services that will address both the short-term and long-term need for safe and decent housing. To make a donation to Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.habitat.org/SandyDonation.  

About General Motors Co.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets.  GM's brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About Lowe's
Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education^®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. In 2011, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $32 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About The Bosch Group
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. More than 300,000 associates generated sales of 51.5 billion euros ($71.7 billion) in the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology in fiscal year 2011. In the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial drives and control technology, power tools, security and communication systems, packaging technology, thermotechnology, household appliances, solar energy, healthcare telemedicine and software solutions. Having established a regional presence in 1906, Bosch employs over 22,500 associates in more than 100 locations, with sales of $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2011.  For more information, visit www.boschusa.com or www.robertboschtoolcorporation.com

About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is a global nonprofit Christian housing organization that seeks to put God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 600,000 families by welcoming people of all races, religions and nationalities to construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at www.facebook.com/habitat or at www.twitter.com/habitat_org or join Habitat's blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.

SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International