CALGARY, Alberta, May 27, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Habitat for Humanity Canada launched an entirely new way for Canadians to engage in the mission of Habitat, travel, and give back to Canadian communities. Through Canada Builds, Habitat for Humanity Canada will send teams of volunteers to a variety of locations nationwide to support the construction of Habitat homes.
"Since 2006, we've had the tremendous support of thousands of Canadians who have travelled abroad through Habitat for Humanity Global Village to play an essential role in the completion of Habitat projects internationally," said Rick Tait, senior director of Global Village at Habitat for Humanity Canada. "But many communities in Canada could also benefit from this type of support – places that have a limited build season due to short summers, disaster stricken areas, and rural communities that might not have the volunteer base required to complete Habitat projects as quickly as otherwise possible. Working with likeminded Canadians, Canada Builds seeks to provide this support."
With upcoming Canada Builds trips announced to Whitehorse, communities of Prince Edward Island and Slave Lake, Alberta, which was ravaged by wildfire in 2011, Habitat for Humanity Canada launched the program today on a build in Calgary, chosen due to the extensive damage to homes caused by flooding last June. The volunteer team, which will be working on the Habitat project until Thursday, is comprised of employees from Canada Builds' founding partner, Genworth Canada. The team includes Genworth employees who traveled from the Greater Toronto Area as well as local representatives, all committed to helping alleviate the even greater need for affordable housing present in Calgary today.
"Genworth Canada has been a longstanding partner of Habitat and has been essential to the launch of Canada Builds by providing multi-year financial support, giving Canadians a whole new way to engage in the mission of Habitat while building meaningful connections and strengthening communities," said Tait.
"Bringing the concept of Habitat's Global Village program to Canada is a venture we strongly believe in and we look forward to working with Habitat to make affordable homeownership a reality for more Canadians," said Debbie McPherson, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Genworth Canada. "This initiative will also provide unique opportunities for our employees to experience the impact such builds can have not only on one Canadian family, but on an entire community."
In addition to Canada Builds, Genworth Canada has provided over $2.7 million to the work of Habitat for Humanity Canada since 2000 to support the construction of safe, decent and affordable homes both domestically and internationally.
Canada Builds trips are open to anyone 16 or older who is willing to work hard for a Canadian family in need of safe, decent and affordable shelter. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca/canadabuilds.
About Habitat for Humanity Canada
Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. With the help of over 63,000 volunteers every year and 65 affiliate organizations from coast to coast, their mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to break the cycle of poverty in Canada and around the world. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.
About Genworth Canada
Genworth MI Canada Inc. (TSX:MIC) through its subsidiary, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (Genworth Canada), is the largest private residential mortgage insurer in Canada. The Company provides mortgage default insurance to Canadian residential mortgage lenders, making homeownership more accessible to first-time homebuyers. Genworth Canada differentiates itself through customer service excellence, innovative processing technology, and a robust risk management framework. For almost two decades, Genworth Canada has supported the housing market by providing thought leadership and a focus on the safety and soundness of the mortgage finance system. As at March 31, 2014, Genworth Canada, had $5.5 billion total assets and $3.2 billion shareholders' equity. Find out more at www.genworth.ca.