Rebuilding Together And Lowe's Join Together To Build A Healthy Neighborhood In Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit organization, and its local affiliate, Rebuilding Together Central Ohio, are teaming up with Lowe's and other sponsors to revitalize the Greater Hilltop neighborhood in Columbus as part the Building a Healthy Neighborhood project.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090421/REBUILDINGLOGO)

More than 800 local volunteers will descend upon the Greater Hilltop neighborhood June 20-22 to provide critical repairs to 16 homes and install a new playground at the center of the rebuild project between Highland and Clarendon Avenues.  The volunteers, including more than 250 Lowe's Heroes from area Lowe's stores, will assist with major home rehabilitations including accessibility modifications, handrail replacements, roofing repairs, and painting and landscaping. 

Carter's Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America's youth, will join Rebuilding Together and Lowe's Heroes to build the new playground. Carter Oosterhouse, HGTV star and founder of Carter's Kids, will build alongside volunteers and dedicate the new play space on June 21.

"Rebuilding Together believes everyone deserves a safe and healthy home, and through Building a Healthy Neighborhood in Columbus we are able to transform that belief into a reality for Greater Hilltop residents," said John L. Fiegel, Interim president and CEO, Rebuilding Together. "In collaboration with our Columbus affiliate, our national and local sponsors, and our hard-working volunteers, Rebuilding Together is able to ensure neighborhoods remain healthy, sustainable and viable."

In its six years of partnership with Rebuilding Together, Lowe's has contributed more than $7 million to help low-income families across the United States improve and maintain their homes. Lowe's partners with Rebuilding Together to revitalize communities through neighborhood rebuilding events and has helped renovate and rehabilitate nearly 1,000 homes.

"It's a pleasure to partner with Rebuilding Together because the work we do impacts entire communities," said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe's director of community relations. "Helping our neighbors make much-needed updates to their homes builds a renewed sense of pride and engagement that's contagious to others around them; and the gift of a new playground, where the entire neighborhood can gather, strengthens the community."

The Building a Healthy Neighborhood mission is to demonstrate the positive effects of home and neighborhood revitalization on the overall health of homeowners, families and communities.

In addition to Lowe's Heroes volunteers, national sponsors Crate & Barrel, Choice Hotels International, HGTV/DIY and Assurant will join Columbus-area businesses and organizations during the three-day project. Alumni from CapacityCorps, Rebuilding Together's AmeriCorps program, will serve as ambassadors and volunteer leaders.

During the project, Rebuilding Together and Lowe's will launch the national 2013 Tradesperson of the Year campaign with HGTV's on-air host Chris Gundy.  The campaign seeks nominations for "best-in-class" tradespersons who demonstrate service to their communities and contribute leadership in their chosen trade.For more information about Rebuilding Together's Building a Healthy Neighborhood in Columbus, OH, please refer to: http://rebuildingtogether.org/news-item/bahn2013-columbus/.

Follow Rebuilding Together's efforts on Twitter at @WeRebuild13 and @RebldgTogthr using the hashtag #BaHN13.

About Rebuilding Together:
Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our close to 200 local affiliates complete nearly 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of nearly 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trades professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us — visit www.RebuildingTogether.org .

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 more than $36 million to 8,000 K-12 public schools, benefiting more than 4 million schoolchildren. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together and the American Red Cross. In 2012, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

About Carter's Kids:
Carter's Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating and promoting awareness of fitness and self-esteem for America's youth. Founded in 2008 by TV host Carter Oosterhouse, the purpose of Carter's Kids is to increase the activity level of kids by building and developing community parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods. These play spaces have been found to have a positive effect on the cognitive, social and physical development of the children who use them. To learn more visit www.carters-kids.org.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together