METS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESENTED BY CITI TEAMS UP WITH HABITAT-NYC TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES IN BROOKLYN
Mets Greats and SNY Broadcasters Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling
to Join Citi Volunteers at Brooklyn Build
New York, N.Y., July 14, 2011 – Citi and the New York Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi announced that they will team up once again with Habitat for Humanity – New York City (Habitat-NYC) tomorrow to build affordable housing for New York City families. The project is part of the Mets and Citi’s “Teammates in the Community” initiative, reflecting their ongoing commitment to be active participants in the community.
Mets greats and SNY broadcasters Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling will join 18 Citi volunteers to help build Habitat-NYC’s four-story affordable condominiums in the Ocean Hill-Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Once completed in 2012, they will house 12 families. This marks the third straight year Mets alumni and Citi will be working with Habitat-NYC to build affordable housing.
“Working with an organization like Habitat for Humanity and serving New Yorkers is just one of the many ways in which Citi makes an impact in the community,” said James Cava, Executive Vice President, Citi Realty Services. “Partnering with members of the New York Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi to build affordable housing for families in need is another great example of how we are enriching our business and community programs through our relationship with the Mets.”
“We’re excited that Keith and Ron are the latest Mets legends to participate in such a vital community initiative,” said Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Mets. “We’re grateful to our partners at Citi and Habitat-NYC for the opportunity to lend a hand on this important project that will have a lasting impact on so many lives.”
“We are proud to celebrate another ‘home run’ in our long-time partnership with Citi, the Mets, and superstars Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. These dedicated team players will help build 12 affordable homes, working alongside families who will own them,” said Josh Lockwood, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity – New York City. “These homes are among our new ‘100 Homes in Brooklyn’ initiative to create affordable homes and help strengthen Ocean Hill-Brownsville and Bedford-Stuyvesant, two communities hit hard by the recession. This is truly an ‘Amazin’ day for our neighborhoods and families.”
Later tomorrow, other members of the Mets Alumni Association Presented by Citi – Dwight Gooden, Jesse Orosco, Rafael Santana, Rusty Staub and Darryl Strawberry – will be at Citi Field for Pyrotechnics Night as the Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies at 7:10 p.m. Additionally, Mets and Citi executives will present Habitat-NYC volunteers Tom Pace and Martin Friedman with the “Teammates in the Community” award during a special on-field pre-game ceremony. They will be honored for their exemplary commitment and dedication to serving and helping others for more than three years as volunteers with Habitat-NYC. The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary ways to give back to the community.
Pace and Friedman, who developed a friendship through their work at Grace Church in Brooklyn, both retired from their jobs several years ago, but the word “leisure” is not in their vocabulary, so the pair volunteered with Habitat for Humanity building homes in the Gulf Coast. That experience led them to volunteering with Habitat-NYC. Almost every Friday since 2008, they have worked at a Habitat-NYC construction site – installing studs and drywall, laying flooring and tile, painting walls and ceilings – giving their time selflessly to build affordable homes for and with New York City families.
Led by Citi Community Development (CCD), Citi’s relationship with Habitat-NYC includes much more than funding. The New York State CCD team provides leadership and guidance to develop opportunities for expanding Habitat-NYC’s impact, and Citi employees are enthusiastic volunteers at Habitat-NYC builds. Through this partnership, Citi has participated in more than 12 home-building events in New York, with an average of 15 volunteers per build.
The Ocean Hill-Brownsville homes are part of an overall project to build four multi-family buildings, each four stories, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom condominiums, which will eventually house 12 families when completed in 2012. Built to Energy Star standards and incorporating green materials and building techniques, these Habitat-NYC homes will help protect the health –and pocketbooks – of their future inhabitants.
Citi is a long-time supporter and partner of Habitat for Humanity. Since 2000, Citi and Habitat employees have built and helped create approximately 370 safe, affordable and energy-efficient homes across the United States for families in need.
Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.
Habitat for Humanity-New York City
Habitat for Humanity – New York City transforms lives and our city by building quality homes for families in need and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers every year, Habitat-NYC has built more than 220 affordable homes in the five boroughs of New York City. Learn more atwww.habitatnyc.org.
