Habitat for Humanity East Bay

Media Information

For immediate release
March 23, 2010                       

Press Contact:
Jo Ann Driscoll
Public Relations Consultant
Habitat for Humanity East Bay
(510) 665-5592 (direct)
(510) 459-8144 (cell)
joannd@pacbell.net

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EAST BAY’S
EARTH DAY BUILD-A-THON 

EXECUTIVE BUILD – APRIL 16;   BUILD-A-THON – APRIL 17 - 20
 
HABITAT WILL KICK OFF NEW KINSELL COMMONS DEVELOPMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OAKLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY

HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS NEEDED TO BUILD IN OAKLAND
OVER EARTH DAY WEEKEND

(Oakland, CA)   Habitat for Humanity East Bay invites hundreds of participants to celebrate Earth Day weekend by participating in its 2010 Build-A-Thon, which begins Friday, April 16 and runs through Tuesday, April 20, 2010. The Build-A-Thon is the Bay Area’s biggest building and fundraising event and this year participants will help kick off construction at Habitat East Bay’s 22-home Kinsell Commons development in Oakland. The construction site offers a mix of two and three bedroom townhomes, and provides homeownership opportunities for families with limited incomes.  

Earth Day Build-A-Thon participants will roll up their sleeves, don hard hats, swing hammers, and work for one to four days at 84th Avenue and E Street in Oakland. The Kinsell Commons development is a component of Tassafaronga Village, which is owned and being redeveloped by the Oakland Housing Authority into 157 apartment homes.

Completed in 1965, the old Tassafaronga housing project was the last severely distressed large public housing development in Oakland.  The severe distress was evidenced in major site and design deficiencies, deteriorated systems, structural problems, isolation, and inaccessibility. While the buildings and systems themselves were distressed due to age, earthquakes, and poor original construction, the most serious issue impacting Tassafaronga was the original site design and the social problems it encouraged. 

In an effort to mitigate the severely distressed conditions, both aesthetically and socially, that existed at the Tassafaronga public housing site, the OHA will build Tassafaronga Village and Kinsell Commons on land that is zoned residential and located within an active redevelopment area, and is in close proximity to public transportation, a public park, new elementary schools, and a new community library.

Habitat East Bay’s 22-townhome Kinsell Commons development will further stabilize the neighborhood by creating a mixed-income community and entry-level homeownership opportunities for low-income families.

Sustainable building techniques for the Tassafaronga development include close proximity to schools, public transportation, parks and services; incorporation of existing infrastructure; 100% soil filtration of storm water; no invasive plants; drought tolerant plants; high-efficiency irrigation systems; buildings that are 15-35% more energy-efficient than required by code; extra building insulation; dual-paned Low-E windows; bath and kitchen exhausts provide adequate air changes; efficient wood framing designed to reduce waste; recycling 80% of construction waste; low VOC paints and sealants; composite wood materials; fly ash concrete; photovoltaic panels; and buildings designed with emphasis on durability and homeowner education.

April 16: Habitat East Bay’s Executive Build Kicks Off Earth Day Build-A-Thon
CEOs and C-level Bay Area leaders will come together for Habitat East Bay’s third annual Executive Build. Working together, leading local business executives enjoy the hand-on experience of actual construction, framing walls and forging new bonds while helping build homes for deserving families.

April 17 – 20: Blitz Building - Earth Day Build-A-Thon 
Participants join together to have fun and work hard to address our community’s need for affordable housing and to revitalize our neighborhoods. Ten homes will be fully framed from foundation to roofs in just four days!  Participants, 16 and older, collect pledges in support of their building effort (like a walk-a-thon or bike-a-thon) and can choose to attend one, two, three, or all four days of the event. Prior construction experience is not required. Habitat East Bay provides skilled crew leaders who supervise, train, and coach participants to give them everything they need to succeed. Groups can also sponsor a day to build together at the event. Employee groups, service clubs, and faith groups have found the Earth Day Build-A-Thon a wonderful way to enjoy friendship and feel a great sense of accomplishment as everyone works together to help others.
 
AWARDS FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EAST BAY’S GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM
Habitat for Humanity East Bay serves Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. It is proud to be one of the Bay Area’s leading green affordable home builders, and as early as 2000 was one of the first affordable housing developers to build in an environmentally-sustainable way. It received the GreenPoint Rated Award in 2006 for its commitment to building a “better environment from the inside out.” It was voted greenest builder in the 2007 East Bay Express “Best of the Bay” reader’s poll, and in 2009 became the first Habitat affiliate in California to certify green homes to the national standards of LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Habitat for Humanity East Bay’s ReStore, located at 9235 San Leandro Street in Oakland, is a construction materials reuse facility that diverts waste from landfills and whose profits help support the organization’s building efforts.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EAST BAY’S SPONSORS
Thanks to the following sponsors for making these homes, the Earth Day Build-A-Thon, and the Executive Build a success:

• Solar Habitat Sponsor: 
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company
• Full House Sponsors: 
  Chevron, Dow, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Cisco, Bank of America, the Cars for Homes Program, and Habitat East Bay’s ReStore.
• Partial House Sponsors: 
  Simpson Strong-Tie, The PMI Foundation, The North Face, Home Depot, Cal Berkeley Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter, and the East Bay United Methodist Churches collaboration.
• Build-A-Thon Event Sponsors:
  Coldwell Banker, Home Depot, Sybase, East Bay Express, and KCBS
• Executive Build Co-Hosts: 
  Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Chevron, Bank of America, and Home Depot.

 

To view a time-lapse video showcasing what can be accomplished by participating in the Earth Day Build-A-Thon, or to register for the 2010 event, visit www.HabitatEB.org or call 510-251-6304.

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