DuPage Habitat for Humanity receives $15,000 Grant from 
                                  DuPage Community Foundation

                    Grant to aid in a new local Youth United Program

Wheaton, Illinois—DuPage Habitat for Humanity, a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, that provides opportunities for home ownership to limited-income families, was one of 23 not-for-profit organizations in DuPage County to receive a grant from the 2008 Spring Discretionary Cycle of The DuPage Community Foundation based in Wheaton, Illinois. The grant, awarded at a special distribution breakfast on Thursday, June 26, at Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, will help pilot a Youth United Program, which will provide meaningful opportunities for local area youth to become engaged in the work of DuPage Habitat and to develop practical leadership skills. The grant will be used to hire a Youth United Coordinator to conduct outreach and engage youth, to provide marketing materials, and to cover event, food and travel expenses along with office overhead.

Commenting on the occasion, the DuPage Habitat Executive Director, Sarah Brachle said, “We expect the Youth United Program to enable DuPage County youth to take greater ownership in their community as a result of their involvement.”

She further added, “Grant funds will also be used to provide engagement opportunities for youth and also to provide scholarship funds for youth leaders to attend the leadership conference for Youth United in St Louis.”

Founded in 1995, DuPage Habitat for Humanity based in Wheaton, Illinois, is a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International®, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. DuPage Habitat works in partnership with families and the community to build and sell affordable housing at no profit.
In the past 12 years, DuPage Habitat has built or renovated homes for more than 35 families. For more information regarding DuPage Habitat for Humanity, please contact:
Sarah Brachle, Executive Director
ph: 630/510-3737, fax: 630/682-4881, email: sbrachle@dupagehabitat.org
About DuPage Community Foundation: Established in 1986, The DuPage Community Foundation is a publicly-supported 501 (c) (3) organization to which contributions are tax deductible. The Foundation was created to benefit the people of DuPage County and receives contributions and bequests into a permanent endowment from individuals, corporations, organizations and foundations wishing to make lasting contributions to the people of DuPage. The earnings on these funds are then used, in accordance with donor wishes, for the Foundation’s grant making and community leadership activities.

The DuPage Community Foundation seeks to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County by developing and channeling philanthropy to meet the needs of its residents. Based on the American virtues of volunteerism and philanthropy, the Foundation fosters a legacy of support for the people of DuPage County by making grants to not-for-profit organizations working in the arts and culture, education, environmental affairs, health, and human services.

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $7 million in grants to more than 400 not-for-profit agencies serving the residents of DuPage County and beyond. In addition to its discretionary grant programs, the Foundation awards grants from donor-advised and other restricted funds on an ongoing basis. Total grants for fiscal year 2007 amounted to approximately $1.1 million.

For further information about the Foundation or to arrange future media opportunities, please contact Michael Sitrick, development coordinator, at (630) 665-5556.
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