MIDLAND, MI - The Dow Chemical Company announced it will continue to support the mission of Habitat for Humanity to provide safe, affordable housing in partnership with families around the globe. As part of its commitment, Dow has pledged nearly $1.5 million to help fund 18 Habitat builds and other key projects around the world in 2011. Additionally, Dow anticipates gift-in-kind contributions of Dow Building Solutions insulation products in excess of $2.5 million during 2011, which represents the second half of a two-year product commitment made by Dow in 2010.
"We are incredibly grateful to Dow for their outstanding leadership and support of Habitat's mission to create simple, decent, affordable housing," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "Dow was one of our first corporate partners back in 1983, and more than 28 years later their financial resources, energy-efficient products and tireless volunteers have directly supported the construction of more than 25,000 homes around the world."
Adding to the nearly 20 countries where Dow has participated in Habitat builds, this year the Company will support projects in Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and North America, as well as Habitat's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project – Habitat's most widely recognized annual event aimed at raising global awareness of the need for decent, affordable housing.
Most recently, Dow and Habitat for Humanity China last week announced Dow's exclusive sponsorship of the Shanghai Age-friendly Housing Project 2011, which will renovate 25 homes throughout several districts in the city during the next five months.
"The unwavering commitment and dedication of Dow and Habitat people – along with the countless scores of community volunteers who come out to support these projects – is what continues to deliver tangible, lasting impact for families around the world," said Bo Miller, global director for Corporate Citizenship at Dow. "We look forward to continuing to work side-by-side with Habitat to develop strategies and programs that deliver even greater impact, that provide innovative, sustainable products and technologies, and that enable Habitat to build homes, change lives and provide solutions to one of the world's most pressing challenges."
The renewed agreement between Dow and Habitat brings the company's aggregate Habitat contribution to nearly $12.5 million in funding and more than $25 million in gift-in-kind support over the span of their collaboration, with thousands of Dow volunteers helping families around the world realize their dreams of homeownership. In addition to widespread volunteer support, Dow also works with Habitat by providing personnel who serve as subject matter experts in energy efficiency and conservation in the construction of homes and by serving as Habitat affiliate board members.
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world's most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow's diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.
Source: The Dow Chemical Company