WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Tuesday, June 15, D.C. United will participate in the inaugural United Community Builds project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity's D.C. affiliate, D.C. Habitat for Humanity. United players, coaches and staff will work alongside D.C. Habitat volunteers and the prospective homeowners to raise a house as part of the single-largest build project in D.C. Habitat's history.
"D.C. United is thrilled to launch this partnership with Habitat for Humanity as part of our new United Community Builds initiative," said Catherine Marquette, Community & Fan Relations Director for D.C. United and Executive Director of United for D.C. "We are proud to have moved our offices into the District, and are excited to be able to partner with a well-established organization like D.C. Habitat to continue making a difference as good neighbors in this community."
As part of the club's long-term commitment to the Washington, D.C. community, D.C. United will work at a build site at 54th St. and Clay St. NE. The build day begins at 8:30 a.m., as members of the front-office staff kick off the construction. The players and coaches will pull double duty, joining the work crew in the afternoon following their morning training session.
The house is part of a new 53-home community to be built in Northeast Washington over the next five years. Prospective homeowners are required to invest "sweat equity" in the construction process, working in tandem with volunteers to build their house. Upon completion, the house is sold to the partner family through a no-profit, no-interest mortgage.
"The entire Northeast Boundary neighborhood is looking forward to welcoming the D.C. United team to the DCHFH building site," said D.C. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Carol Casperson. "Young people are the heart of our organization, from the AmeriCorps members who lead crews to the Campus Chapters from major universities in the nation's capital. They are all big D.C. United fans!"
In addition to the hard work provided by the staff and players, a first-year D.C. United sponsor will help make the build day go smoothly. Domino's Pizza is donating pizza to feed the build crew, so that they can keep up the hard work throughout the day.
United Community Builds Day is another first in United's long record of service to the Washington, D.C. community. In addition to taking an active role in helping Habitat for Humanity fight homelessness, United also sponsors other community relations initiatives aimed to serve worthy groups in the community. Among the initiatives are United Drives for D.C., which collects items at D.C. United home games to help community-based organizations in their fights against problems like hunger, domestic violence and poverty.
D.C. Habitat for Humanity works to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in the nation's capital by building affordable, energy- and resource-efficient homes for people in need. D.C. Habitat for Humanity sells homes to families ineligible for conventional financing through no-profit, no-interest mortgages. Prospective homebuyers must invest 300 hours of 'sweat equity' in the construction of their home or other homes. Since its creation in September 1998, D.C. Habitat has completed 77 new homes and renovated 75 low-income cooperative units.
For more information on United Community Builds or any of D.C. United's community relations initiatives, contact Catherine Marquette at cmarquette@dcunited.com or 202-587-5443.
For more information on D.C. Habitat for Humanity, contact Carol A. Casperson at carol.casperson@dchabitat.org or 202-882-4600, ext. 228.
