ATLANTA — Ford & Harrison, one of the nation's largest labor and employment law firms, sponsored and built a Habitat for Humanity home for Yolanda Jones and her family. Every Saturday from October 9 to November 20, Ford & Harrison employees, along with partner sponsors from AIG Insurance, HRWorks and the member organizations of AILG, gathered in Southeast Atlanta to build a four-bedroom home from the ground up. The dedication of the home took place on Saturday, November 20.
With the guidance of the Habitat for Humanity staff, more than 40 volunteers from the sponsor organizations came together every Saturday to construct a home for Yolanda Jones' family in time for Thanksgiving.
“The Habitat project exceeded our expectations in every way,” said Chad Shultz, a partner at Ford & Harrison LLP, who helped spearhead this project for the firm. “The support and participation from the Ford & Harrison team was overwhelming. It is absolutely amazing to build a house in seven days using volunteers with limited building experience, but unlimited energy and compassion for the project.”
Shultz continued by offering “Hats off to our building partners, HR Works, AIG, and AILG. The volunteers from these organizations were phenomenal. We made some new friends and strengthened existing relationships. Community involvement is supposed to bring folks together, and this project surely accomplished that objective. We created a wonderful gift this Fall and we will do it again, soon.”
Habitat for Humanity International, based in Americus, Ga., is an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. By the end of 2005, Habitat will have built its 200,000th house and more than one million people will be living in Habitat homes they helped build and are buying through no-profit, zero-interest mortgages.