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AWW pulls together for Habitat

Sept. 23, 2012 – More than 50 employees of All Weather Windows' Mississauga fabrication plant volunteered their time on Saturday, Sept. 22, to build windows for 11 Habitat for Humanity homes in southern Ontario. The employees built insulating glass units and vinyl sills then glazed in windows in the morning between 9 and 11 a.m., generating 95 windows and 18 doors for the build.

Sept. 23, 2012 – More than 50 employees of All Weather Windows'
Mississauga fabrication plant volunteered their time on Saturday, Sept.
22, to build windows for 11 Habitat for Humanity homes in southern
Ontario. The employees built insulating glass units and vinyl sills then
glazed in windows in the morning between 9 and 11 a.m., generating 95
windows and 18 doors for the build.

The Piccio family, recipients of a Habitat for Humanity house from an earlier build, were on hand to thank workers at the morning breakfast.

The mood was upbeat as the event started with a pancake breakfast
prepared by Habitat for Humanity volunteers. All Weather Windows founder
and executive vice-president Henry Banman was on hand to welcome the
workers and thank them for their participation. A family who lives in a
Habitat-built home, the Piccios, were also on site to thank the workers
and describe the effect Habitat's assistance has had on their lives.
Jose Piccio said he would never have been able to raise the down payment
for a home on his own.
 
Material for the build was donated by AGC, Westek Building Products and Masonite.

Volunteer workers built 95 windows and 18 doors, enough for 11 homes.

Fenestration
Canada vice-president Skip MacLean announced a drive by the association
to raise over $100,000 for Habitat for Humanity with events like AWW's
across the country.  "What we are hoping for is to get 100 members and
have them raise $1,000 each and have that matched by the member
companies," MacLean explained. "So we are asking for everyone to get
involved for such a great charity and a wonderful event."
 
Andrew
Thornicroft, national manager of corporate partnerships for Habitat for
Humanity, was kept busy thanking everyone involved. "AWW has come on
board and its employees have come out here on their own time on a busy
weekend when the kids are back in school," he said. "They are helping 11
families who are going to live in those homes and they are helping our
affiliates save money so they can help more families.

AWW executive vice-president Henry Banman toured the Piccio family, Habitat volunteers and sponsors around the plant, explaining the fabrication process.

"This will
really transform their lives. It is helping Susan [a hypothetical
recipient] who works at the local Starbucks then leaves when her shift
is over to go work at Wal-Mart just to have enough money to feed the
kids. Now she can have a home with an interest-free mortgage, so she can
use that money to buy the food and pay the bills and she'll learn how
to be a proper homeowner."
 
Henry Banman, executive
vice-president of AWW, was visibly pleased with the enthusiastic
response of the AWW workers. He is very committed to the Habitat cause,
and serves on its national board. He has participated personally in
builds around Canada and in such remote locations as Haiti. "It is just
over 10 years ago now that we first got involved with Habitat. At the
dedication ceremony for the [Mississauga] plant we donated three, 53-foot trailer loads of windows to the Habitat ReStore because we
believe that where we go we should give back to the community. We are
passionate about helping the people who work for us. Today the people
who work for us have given their day and are building windows for 11
Habitat homes following what we did in Edmonton, donating for 20 homes
in a similar fashion.

Workers made this doodle in the wood dust on a panel without any prompting. There were smiles all around on the shop floor as everyone seemed happy and engaged.

"We know that when people have a home,
their level of education increases and their productivity at work
increases and they in turn become givers to the community. The model
that Habitat has gives back. People get an interest-free mortgage, but
the money goes to help the next family and the next family and the next
family. It is a program that I feel is second to none."

Related links
www.allweatherwindows.com
www.habitat.ca