/R E P E A T -- Over 50 people living in need will be home for the holidays/

Habitat for Humanity Toronto completes eleven new homes in time for the New Year.

TORONTO, Dec. 15 /CNW/ - Habitat for Humanity Toronto (HFHT) today announced the completion of eleven new homes at Toronto's William's Way development.  Hundreds of friends and supporters will gather on Sunday, December 19^th as the families receive the keys to their new homes in a Dedication Ceremony hosted by HFHT.  All media are welcome to attend this event.

"Like Canadians everywhere, having a clean, safe, comfortable home in which to gather for the holidays has been a dream for these families," says Habitat for Humanity Toronto's CEO Neil Hetherington "I'm delighted that with their own hard work and the donation of 100,000 volunteer hours, that dream will be a reality this year."  

On the same site as Canada's first solar-panel technology homes built by Habitat for Humanity, 20 townhouses will provide affordable home ownership for hardworking families currently living in Toronto's substandard housing.

The Home Depot Canada Foundation, the charitable arm of The Home Depot Canada, is the title sponsor of the build and has made a two-year, $550,000 commitment for this site as well as HFHT's 4572 Kingston Road development. Their products and monetary contributions support the environmental components at William's Way.

"The Home Depot Canada Foundation is proud to support Habitat for Humanity Toronto," said Foundation Board Director Peg Hunter. "As a Partner in Sustainability, we value the opportunity to play a role in providing homes to Habitat Toronto's partner families that are healthy to live in and affordable to own."

Among the eleven new homeowners is the Bogle family whose three children aspire to careers that will allow them to serve others after witnessing gun violence and other criminal behaviour in their current neighbourhood.  Lesa Bogle, a single mother, was distressed for her children growing up in that atmosphere and in a home that was overcrowded and neglected by an absentee landlord.  She sees their new Habitat Toronto home, for which she contributed 500 hours of her own labour to help build, as a new start for her family. "We're looking forward to the smell of freshly painted walls," says Ms. Bogle with a smile. "I'm already so thankful for this great blessing and sense of belonging."

What:			William's Way Dedication Ceremony
Who:			● Neil Hetherington, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Toronto ● Peg Hunter, VP of Marketing and Communications for The Home Depot and Secretary of the Board of Directors for The Home Depot Canada Foundation (keynote address) ● Honourable Alan Tonks, MP (York South and Weston) ● Councillor Frances Nunziata (Frances Nunziata) ● Habitat Partner Family Homeowners
Where:			1500 Weston Road (near Weston Rd. & Jane St. intersection) Please park in legally designated areas
When:			Sunday, December 19^th, 2010 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

***Media are invited to attend and interviews will be available***
Please visit www.torontohabitat.ca/AboutUs for more information on Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

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