Naples, FL, July 23, 2004 - Volunteers and nine companies from Biotech Bay are pleased to announce their service of helping hands in partnership with the Peninsula Habitat for Humanity to build the nation’s first Biotech-sponsored house in Daly City.
Genencor, Nektar, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich, LLP and other companies have been contributing funds and are volunteering at the site to build a three-story row house, which will be purchased by the Juan and Lucia Rodriquez family. Juan and Lucia Rodriquez and their three sons look forward to their new home being built.
“Gray Cary is committed to supporting families with low incomes who themselves are working hard to fulfill their dream of homeownership,” said Steven Cohen, a partner at the law firm of Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich. “We are proud to work with Peninsula Habitat, its partner families, and the Biotech business community as both a financial sponsor and by providing volunteers working on site, to help bring stability and safety to neighborhoods and communities through affordable, ownership houses.”
The high cost of housing, forces many families to accept substandard living conditions. First-time homeownership empowers a family to better their lives and their children’s futures. Each Habitat family works 500 hours on their house and the houses of others before purchase. “Employees of Biotech companies understand the great need for decent affordable housing on the Peninsula so that workforce families can live near their jobs rather than commuting long hours to be able to afford to live in the Bay Area,” said June LaBarre, Corporate Gifts/Grants Officer of Peninsula Habitat for Humanity.
Construction on the three-story house began in March 2004 with the grading of the property and construction of two 180-foot retaining walls. Now that the foundations have been laid, the house is beginning to take shape as volunteers put up walls.
The total of the whole house will cost $150,000. To date, forty-three percent of the funds needed to buy building materials have been donated. There remains $85,000 that will have to be raised to complete the house. Your company’s financial support is needed. Work with the Habitat for Humanity and build a Biotech-sponsored house in your hotbed!
For more information or to add your company to the Bay Area Biotech House partnership, please contact June LaBarre at 650-568-7332. Don’t miss this great opportunity to help out your community!
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