DETROIT (June 6, 2008) – GMAC Financial Services employees will have hammers and paint brushes in their hands and compassion in their hearts when they work to change the lives of one special family in Detroit, Mich. Beginning Monday, June 9, more than 160 GMAC team members will donate their time to build an entire home from the ground up, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.
Dennis Doyle, vice president of GMAC Insurance Dealer Products & Services (DP&S) said GMAC has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for years.
“We believe homeownership is fundamental for building strong, sustainable communities. Habitat for Humanity is an amazing charity that has made an astounding difference worldwide,” Doyle said. “And, it’s rewarding for our employees to be able to go to a build site, work hard and at the end of the day see actual results.”
GMAC is doing a whole house sponsorship in Detroit this year. GMAC team members will work on the house 16 days over two months.
“Thanks to the GMAC sponsorship, a Detroit family is receiving an opportunity to own a home of their own,” said Vincent Tilford, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Detroit. “The need in our community is great and this support means that we can positively change the lives of one more family.”
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat for Humanity builds and rehabilitates houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families.
"GMAC's partnership with Habitat for Humanity provides us with an opportunity to give back to the community and to demonstrate our strong commitment to help families worldwide," said GMAC CEO Al de Molina. “GMAC and our employees are dedicated to making this year’s Habitat build season a great success.”
GMAC sponsorships have also been awarded to Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Dallas; Jacksonville, Fla.; Minneapolis; New York City; Philadelphia; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Waterloo, Iowa; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Toronto; and Mexico City.
About GMAC Community Relations
For more than 15 years, the financial and volunteer support offered by GMAC and its subsidiaries has helped Habitat build and rehabilitate hundreds of homes. Additionally, GMAC supports financial literacy and homeownership through several initiatives including foreclosure prevention programs via GMAC ResCap’s Keychain Alliance and the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, and financial literacy via GMAC SmartEdge, a program designed to educate consumers in the areas of credit, budget, banking, vehicle and home financing, and insurance. For more information on financial literacy go to www.SmartEdgebyGMAC.com.
GMAC Financial Services is a global, diversified financial services company that operates in approximately 40 countries in automotive finance, real estate finance, insurance and commercial finance businesses. GMAC was established in 1919 and employs approximately 26,700 people worldwide. For more information, go to www.gmacfs.com.
About Habitat for Humanity Detroit
Habitat for Humanity Detroit is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit ecumenical Christian housing ministry providing decent, safe, affordable housing to low-income families in Detroit. Since 1986, the Detroit affiliate has rehabbed and/or built new houses for more than 240 families and revitalized five communities following its mission to eliminate substandard housing in our community. Financial and in-kind contributions and the use of volunteers for labor keep Habitat for Humanity homes affordable for low-income families. For more information, please visit www.habitatdetroit.org.
Contact:
Beth Coggins
GMAC Financial Services
313-656-6964
Beth.Coggins@gmacfs.com
