Verizon FiOS SoCal Partnering with Habitat for Humanity to Influence Change

Habitat receiving $5,000 grant; Employees providing A Brush with Kindness!  

Verizon FiOS SoCal and local communities are teaming up to support local non-profits. In phase one of Verizon’s SoCal Experience, more than $20,000 was donated to non-profit organizations in Palm Springs, Inland Valley and Victor Valley. In phase two, Verizon is donating to another three non-profits.  Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County will receive a $5,000 grant from Verizon, and a team of Verizon employees will volunteer their time to provide a ‘hand-up’ to a family in need of home repairs.

On Friday, June 14, Verizon FiOS SoCal employees will deliver A Brush with Kindness in El Rio (Oxnard).  For this special Home Preservation, we are proud to be serving a homeowner who also happens to be a two-time Veteran.  A Brush with Kindness is a Habitat for Humanity program that helps preserve homeownership by partnering with low-income homeowners struggling to restore and maintain a safe and decent place to live.  Depending on the home’s location, some low income families may qualify for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to help purchase building materials.  Repairs include, but are not limited to landscaping, painting, and other minor repairs. 

About Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County is a locally-run and locally-funded affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. Over the past 30 years, 56 new home builds have provided homeownership opportunities for families in need and hundreds of homes have been repaired, providing a safe, clean, decent living environment for lower income homeowners. The Preserve a Home program, which began with a new focus only two years, ago is being embraced by several cities and the county of Ventura as they see the positive impact Habitat has on families, neighborhoods and the community overall.    At Habitat for Humanity, we believe that everyone everywhere deserves a decent place to live. Low- to very-low income families are selected based on their need for housing, ability to repay a zero-interest, no-profit loan, and willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. We offer a “hand up”, not a hand out, empowering families who are willing to work hard to achieve their dream of homeownership.  Each Habitat for Humanity homeowner invests hundreds of hours to help build their home, and then purchases it with an affordable, zero interest mortgage.  Habitat currently has enough donated properties to build 30 simple, decent homes for families in Ventura County.  To build these homes we need donations of time, talents and funding from faith groups, businesses, and individual donations In order to complete our next 10 homes.  For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, visit www.habitatventura.org or call (805) 485-6065 x200.

Our mission: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County strengthens communities and fosters hope by bringing people together to build simple, decent houses in partnership with those in need.

About Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County’s “Preserve a Home” Program

“Preserve a Home” is a home rehabilitation program that provides low-income homeowners much needed repair services at an affordable cost.  Since Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County launched this new repair program in May of 2011, nine home preservations have been completed in Ventura County: Fillmore, Piru, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Saticoy, Oxnard and Ventura. Following the well-established Habitat for Humanity model, homeowners and family members contribute sweat equity hours and work in partnership with Habitat staff and volunteers.  The City of Camarillo recently awarded Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County a $75,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to support home repairs for up to five households in Camarillo. Simi Valley, El Rio, Meiners Oaks, Saticoy and Oak Park are awaiting home preservation services.  For more information, contact Felipe Flores at felipef@habitatventura.org.

Habitat does not provide on-the-spot or full-service repairs. After an application has been received, Habitat will conduct an initial interview and site visit. If all requirements are met, Habitat staff and key volunteers will assess the home repairs needed and complete additional site visits and inspections.

Do you have a home or know of one that needs some work?  Applications for A Brush With Kindness are available on our website located at www.habitatventura.org. Would you like to volunteer on A Brush with Kindness home?  We welcome all volunteers as young as 14 years of age on our sites.  Each individual can have a large impact. You can sign up and become a volunteer through our website at www.habitatventura.org.

About the Verizon’s FiOS SoCal Experience

Verizon’s FiOS SoCal Experience team is meeting with Southern California where they work, live and play in uniquely tech-laden FiOS SoCal Experience vehicles traveling throughout Southern California through the summer of 2013.  The Experience fleet includes an iconic 1965 Volkswagen van that has been transformed into a mobile entertainment experience, custom-fitted with FiOS internet and FiOS TV capability, along with a 42-inch HDTVs.  

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with more than 98 million retail connections nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with nearly $116 billion in 2012 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of 183,400. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.