When formally homeless families move into 715 Fox Street, they will move into a building that is LEED-Certified green – built with eco-friendly materials – with its very own green roof. They also will move into a building that is partially built by volunteers from U.S. Bank.
U.S. Bank employees painted the interior of the building that will include 12 Habitat For Humanity units that will be even more affordable than the rest of the apartments in the building – housing for people of modest means. The project is being built by Blue Sea Development.
The 15 employees of U.S. Bank volunteered through The Financial Services Roundtable for one day of service on Friday, August 21. New York City Habitat for Humanity executive director Josh Lockwood welcomed the group to Fox Street.
“We are delighted to once again welcome U.S. Bank’s dedicated and hardworking volunteers, who are helping to build affordable Habitat homes in the south Bronx,” Lockwood said. “The labor they are contributing today will not only beautify these new homes. It will be giving families in need a hand up to a better future.”
The group painted the terraces of the studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and did other light work around the property. U.S. Bank is a commercial bank that serves other banks.
“U.S. Bank employee volunteers in the New York City area will be painting units in this multi-family building,” said John Doherty, a vice-president for U.S. Bank Corporate Trust Services.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to do business in the New York City area, and this is one way we show our commitment to our communities. The U.S. Bank team worked with the company’s Employee Development Network, which is designed to assist them in taking an active role in their career, community involvement, and personal development.”
The Financial Services Roundtable sponsors the Community Service 2009 volunteer program, which is in its eighth year and unites member companies’ efforts to improve the communities that they work in and strengthens partnerships with non-profit partners.
In Habitat for Humanity housing projects in the Bronx and around the metro area, instead of building single-family homes with traditional “barn-raisings,” they do smaller-scale work on larger projects.
“Instead of building a single family home, in New York City Habitat for Humanity hires a general contractor to build the outside of the building and major parts of the inside, Lockwood stated.
“The scope of work for our volunteers include framing walls, putting up drywall and insulation, installing wooden flooring and painting.
