Whirlpool Corporation and Michigan State University Commemorate National Day of Service with Habitat for Humanity Build

LANSING, Mich., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan State University (MSU) students, faculty and staff will recognize the National Day of Service tomorrow with the kick-off of the 2010 Whirlpool® Building Blocks campus build. In partnership with Whirlpool Corporation, Habitat for Humanity Lansing, Habitat for Humanity International and local volunteers will be joined by Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm to raise walls in the name of affordable housing.

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The house will be built on-campus in the commuter parking lot near Mount Hope Road and Farm Lane before being moved to its permanent location in Lansing, where construction will be completed. Festivities will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. as Gov. Granholm and representatives from Whirlpool Corporation, Habitat for Humanity and MSU kick-off the build with a project blessing and a few words at the build site. The future homeowner is Anna Malavisi, a philosophy graduate student at MSU and mother of three. She and her children will be the 100th family housed by Habitat for Humanity Lansing.

"We're honored to have Gov. Granholm with us as we help the Malavisi family achieve their dreams of home ownership," said Denise Paquette, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Lansing. "With this new home, Anna will be able to raise her family in a safe, secure environment while she pursues her graduate degree. She's a great role model for her daughters as well as for the community."

Federal legislation in 2009 established the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. The purpose of the day is to encourage acts of service on Sept. 11 each year. MSU students, faculty, staff, alumni and others will participate in build shifts Sept. 11-18, and Sept. 27 through Oct. 15. The build will be completed on Oct. 15, coinciding with MSU's Fall Homecoming activities.

"The National Day of Service is a great reminder of the good we can do with the Lansing community," said Dr. Scott Witter, professor and director of MSU's School of Planning, Design, and Construction (SPDC). "Involving students in outreach and community development is an integral part of the MSU experience. The Whirlpool® Building Blocks campus build will prove to be a rewarding opportunity for our school and our students, as we engage with the Malavisi family to build their very own home."

The Whirlpool® Building Blocks program is Whirlpool Corporation's signature program with Habitat for Humanity. This year's build format includes seven communities around the country, including two builds on university campuses. Since 1999, Whirlpool Corporation has supported Habitat in its mission to create affordable housing and is one of the organization's largest corporate sponsors.

"Whirlpool Corporation is proud of its 10-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity," said Dave Binkley, a graduate of MSU and senior vice president of global human resources, Whirlpool Corporation. "We are pleased to sponsor and participate in the MSU campus build, and are grateful to Michigan State University, participating student organizations, Habitat for Humanity Lansing and Habitat for Humanity International for making it possible to make the dream of home ownership a reality for another Habitat family."

A presentation of the keys to the Malavisis is planned to take place during the Oct. 16, 2010, MSU vs. University of Illinois Homecoming football game. For more information, visit www.whirlpool.com/habitat or www.facebook.com/whirlpoolbuildingblocks.

About Habitat for Humanity Lansing

Habitat for Humanity Lansing is a non-profit, ecumenical housing organization dedicated to eliminating poverty housing in the Greater Lansing Area. Since their founding in 1987, they have built or rehabilitated 85 homes locally. Houses are built in partnership with economically disadvantaged families using volunteer labor and sold via zero-interest mortgages. Habitat for Humanity Lansing is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit: www.habitatlansing.org

About Michigan State University

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.

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, rehabilitated, repaired or improved more than 350,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.75 million people. For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit www.habitat.org.

About Whirlpool Corporation

In 10 years of partnership with Habitat for Humanity®, Whirlpool Corporation has donated more than 110,000 ranges and ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerators to new Habitat homes built in North America, serving 55,000 families.  The company has sponsored more than 100 homes around the world and served nearly 10,000 families in Europe alone. Additionally, Whirlpool has donated more than 10,000 products to Habitat ReStores and has engaged more than 6,000 employee volunteers.  A proud sponsor of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project since 2003, the value of the company's commitment to Habitat nears $63 million.  With active partnerships in 22 countries, Whirlpool plans to support every new Habitat home built globally by 2011, through product donations, cash or volunteerism.  For more information, go to http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com/responsibility/building_communities/habitat_for_humanity.aspx.

Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances, with annual sales of approximately $17 billion in 2009, 67,000 employees, and 67 manufacturing and technology research centers around the world.  The company markets Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Consul, Bauknecht and other major brand names to consumers in nearly every country around the world.  Additional information about the company can be found at http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation