Along with NFL quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, 10 members and staff from Ohio AmeriCorp will join more than 500 Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA members and alumni to help build 20 Habitat for Humanity houses this summer.

The group will travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 14-20 as part of the annual Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon. The houses will be built in partnership with families affected by the floods that devastated much of Iowa in 2008.

“As Iowans, Brenda and I have seen firsthand the devastation of last year’s floods but there is still so much work to do,” Warner said. “We believe that a safe home is so important to the long term success of a family and we look forward to working alongside the Habitat AmeriCorps members to join the effort to rebuild in Cedar Rapids.”

The 2009 Build-a-Thon celebrates 14 years of AmeriCorps members helping Habitat for Humanity affiliates and partner organizations build affordable houses and eliminate substandard housing. During the blitz build, AmeriCorps members from across the country will join Cedar Valley Habitat for Humanity as they help 20 low-income families. Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner and wife Brenda, Iowa natives, will volunteer their efforts on behalf of their First Things First Foundation. Since the flood, Kurt helped raise more than $650,000 from NFL colleagues and fans toward this effort. Additionally, the City of Cedar Rapids has committed $1 million of funding to the project.

“This Build-a-Thon is a powerful way to highlight the need for affordable housing for victims of the Iowa flooding while also celebrating the many contributions AmeriCorps members make to Habitat and other organizations in thousands of communities throughout the country every day,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We are so grateful to these hard-working AmeriCorps members for their commitment to eliminating poverty housing and applaud them for their service.”

The need for affordable housing is especially great in the Cedar Rapids area, where nearly 4,000 homes were damaged by fast-rising water during last year’s devastating floods. While 90 counties were declared federal disaster areas, Cedar Rapids was the most significantly affected region. Most of the affected homeowners did not have flood insurance. The first day of the Build-a-Thon, June 14, marks the first anniversary of the day water from the Cedar River crested, leaving nearly 10 square miles of Cedar Rapids under water.

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