GM Foundation and teamGM Cares Volunteers Partner with Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia for New Home Build

The General Motors Foundation and teamGM Cares Volunteers from GM’s Atlanta IT Innovation Center are partnering with Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia to build a brand new home for one local family from Forsyth County.

Saturday, June 6 marked the official groundbreaking of the site. Upon completion in early fall, the home will be dedicated to Brian and Amanda McKinzie and their six children. Brian has worked in the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office for 11 years.

“This is about more than just building a house,” said GM Foundation President Vivian Pickard. “This is about giving families like the McKinzie’s the stability of a permanent home and a better sense of belonging to a community.”

The Forsyth County project is made possible by a $1 million grant from the GM Foundation to Habitat for Humanity International. The grant will fund nine home builds in the U.S., with the goal of assisting current and former military service members. Two additional grant-funded projects will take place in Brazil and Nepal.

“Habitat-North Central Georgia, as a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is extremely grateful to the GM Foundation for its financial support of this build,” stated Russ Hayes, Habitat-NCG’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are pleased, too, that employee volunteers will be working side-by-side with the McKinzie family throughout the build to help construct the family’s new Habitat home.”

Since 2013, the GM Foundation has donated more than $3 million to Habitat, which has touched the lives of 166 Habitat partner families and helped revitalize 30 neighborhoods across the country.

About the GM Foundation
Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, the Environment and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. Funding of the GM Foundation comes solely from GM. The last contribution to the GM Foundation was made in 2001. For more information, visit www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

About Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia

Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia is a non-profit, Christian housing ministry that builds affordable homes for purchase by low-income families who demonstrate the capacity for responsible homeownership. Since its inception in 1995, Habitat-NCG has completed 267 homes serving an estimated 1,000 family members in the North Fulton area and Cherokee, Dawson and Forsyth Counties. Habitat-NCG does not give away its homes. Partner families, who earn 30% to 60% of the Atlanta area median income, purchase their homes at or near appraised value utilizing 30-year no-interest financing provided by Habitat. In addition, each partner family is required to attend educational classes and perform 200-300 hours of construction “sweat equity.” Family members work side by side with the volunteers, sponsors, and Habitat staff to build their homes. Habitat-NCG’s slogan is “A Hand Up, Not a Handout.” For more information concerning Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia, please visit www.habitat-ncg.org.