Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Habitat for Humanity Partner to Provide New Home for Local Greenwood Family
May 18, 2015
GREENWOOD, SC – A local grassroots project launched last year marked an important milestone yesterday with the dedication of a new home for a family of four in Greenwood, South Carolina. The house was built by the Greenwood Area Habitat for Humanity on the site of an abandoned building. The project was supported by a Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) Conservation and Community Partnerships grant, which provides funding to revitalize local communities using wood products certified to the SFI Standard to provide safe, affordable housing with sustainable forest resources.
“To be able to take our passion for responsible forestry and support an initiative that brings people together to build homes and improve the living conditions of families is a social responsibility that all of us at SFI are proud to be part of,” said Kathy Abusow, president and CEO of SFI Inc. “Our nearly decade-long partnership with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across North America has given us the opportunity to help provide affordable homes where they are needed most, including here in Greenwood, while highlighting the important benefits of healthy forests, responsible sourcing and sustainable communities.”
The family is the new owner of a three-bedroom, two-story and 1,080 square-foot house. The family donated 500 hours of time towards building their new home and has committed to acting as a local volunteer to help make Greenwood a more sustainable community.
“This project is intended to revitalize the Greenwood area by providing, safe and affordable housing, and to see it come to life by providing this family with a new house is a great feeling,” said Chad Charles, affiliate director, Greenwood Area Habitat for Humanity. “With the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, we are able to execute this initiative in an environmentally responsible way.”
The first SFI Implementation Committee and Habitat for Humanity partnership began in 2007, raising awareness for sustainable forestry, and encouraging green building using products certified to the SFI Standard. The SFI Standard promotes sustainable forest management in North America and responsible procurement of forest products around the world.
Through this partnership, SFI and SFI Implementation Committees have donated countless volunteer hours or donated certified products to more than a dozen Habitat for Humanity builds throughout North America. Visithere to learn more about SFI, SFI Implementation Committees and the partnership with the Habitat for Humanity.
About Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI)
SFI® Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization that is solely responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized SFI program. SFI works collaboratively with conservation groups, local communities, youth, resource professionals, landowners and countless other organizations and individuals who share our passion for and commitment to healthy forests, responsible purchasing and sustainable communities. Since 2010, SFI has awarded more than 60 Conservation and Community Partnership grants totaling more than$1.9 million to foster education, research and pilot efforts to better inform future decisions about our forests. When leveraged with project partner contributions, that total investment exceeds $7.1 million. Across the United States and Canada, more than 260 million acres (100 million hectares) are certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard. In addition, sustainable forestry is promoted through the SFI Fiber Sourcing Standard and the SFI Chain-of-Custody Standard. SFI on-product labels help consumers make responsible purchasing decisions. SFI Inc. is governed by a three-chamber board of directors representing environmental, social and economic sectors equally. Learn more at www.sfiprogram.org and www.sfiprogram.org/Buy-SFI.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a critical foundation for breaking the cycle of poverty, Habitat has helped more than 4 million people construct, rehabilitate or preserve homes since 1976. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and supports a variety of funding models that enable families with limited resources to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer visit www.habitat.org.
