Many in the community of Michigan’s Great Southwest vividly recall when they had the opportunity to swing a hammer or wield a saw side-by-side with former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn when they came to Benton Harbor years ago for the Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. History will repeat itself not far from that neighborhood next week when the community of South Bend marks the 2018 edition of that amazing Work Project with Whirlpool Corporation.
Over the weekend Whirlpool teamed up with Celebrity Chef Gail Simmons to provide a lasting first memory for 41 Habitat for Humanity homeowners and their families in northern Indiana, when the appliance giant hosted a celebratory dinner to welcome home the families who will live in the houses built during the project. Celebrity Chef Gail Simmons crafted the menu for that special occasion, which brought families together before Habitat for Humanity, Whirlpool Corporation and hundreds of Carter Work Project volunteers build their new homes.
The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project runs August 26th-to-31st. This year, volunteers and family members will build 22 new affordable homes in Mishawaka, alongside President and Mrs. Carter. With their employee volunteers, Whirlpool will also donate appliances, which will be installed into the new homes as part of their ongoing partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
Whirlpool Corporate VP of Communications & Public Affairs Jeff Noel says, “For nearly two decades, Whirlpool Corporation has worked with Habitat for Humanity to help build new homes alongside families.” Noel adds, “We know the importance of transforming a house into a home, and kicking off the upcoming build with this dinner is about exactly that: going beyond involvement in the building process and taking a step toward helping these families create a true community.”
Families enjoyed a three-course meal of ultimate chopped summer salad, herbed chicken schnitzel with roasted potatoes and asparagus and banoffee pie.
As an ongoing extension of the dinner, Whirlpool Corporation is also giving a three-month subscription to Raddish, a cooking club for kids, to each of the 41 families.
Julie Laird Davis is Vice President of Corporate & Foundation Relations at Habitat for Humanity. She says, “It’s fantastic that these families have a chance to bond before we officially kick off a week of building during the Carter Work Project.” Davis adds, “This is a new beginning for the whole neighborhood, and sharing a meal together is a powerful first memory for everyone to share.”
This year more than 1,790 volunteers from around the world, including 75 Whirlpool Corporation employees, will join the families to begin construction efforts.
In more than 18 years of partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Whirlpool has developed active programs in more than 45 countries with a commitment of more than $107 million. In the United States and Canada, the company has donated more than 191,000 ranges and refrigerators to new Habitat homes, serving more than 100,000 families.
Additionally, Whirlpool has donated more than 42,000 products to Habitat ReStore retail outlets, helping raise nearly $5.7 million. The company has engaged thousands of employee volunteers, sponsored nearly 180 homes and donated products to more than 76,000 Habitat families in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Whirlpool plans to support the work of Habitat around the world through product donations, financial contributions and/or volunteerism.
Whirlpool Corporation continues to be the world’s leading major home appliance company, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 92,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2017.