FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA ADVISORY
Date 10/8/01

Contact: Matt Derrick
(816) 942-8800, ext. 213

Grain Valley Students Dedicate Habitat for Humanity Home Oct. 12

Ceremonies mark conclusion of Home Builders Association's School-to-Work Project

Students at Grain Valley High School will join with members of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City (HBA) in dedicating a Habitat for Humanity home built in conjunction with the "Building a House to Build Careers" school-to-work program at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 12 at 114 E. Broadway in Grain Valley's Gate City Plaza neighborhood.

During the past year, the partnership between the HBA, the Grain Valley R-V School District and Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Jackson County has allowed students the opportunity to apply lessons learned in the classroom to real-life examples in the housing construction industry. Members of both the HBA and its Missouri South Council shared their experiences with students and showed how the students can apply what they learn in school to the hundreds of careers related to the housing industry, ranging from sales and finance to architecture and interior design.

Grain Valley High School students worked alongside housing professionals in building the Habitat for Humanity home. The "Building a House to Build Careers" project in Grain Valley is one three locations that are part of a nationwide school-to-work pilot program. The HBA initiated the local program in partnership with the Home Builders Institute and Grain Valley R-V School District with funding made possible through a school-to-work opportunities grant from the U.S. departments of Labor and Education.

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Media Advisory: Excellent photo, video and interview opportunities will be available. To visit the home site, take I-70 east to the Grain Valley exit. Turn right at the stoplight and proceed through Downtown Grain Valley across the train tracks. Turn left on E. Broadway into the Gate City Plaza subdivision. The home is located at 114 E. Broadway. The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, contact Matt Derrick at (816) 942-8800, ext. 213 or e-mail mderrick@kchba.org.

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Kansas City is the voice of the housing industry and the source for housing information. Comprising more than 1,000 member companies, the HBA represents an industry that contributes approximately $2.5 billion to the Kansas City economy, and supports more than 36,000 jobs in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

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