International Code Council Foundation and Rebuilding Together Partner to Improve Home of Area Veteran

December 20, 2008

Local Veteran Benefits from the Inaugural Project of New Partnership

(Tampa Bay, FL) – December 20, 2008 - More than 50 volunteers from Rebuilding Together Tampa and the International Code Council will team up today to help renovate the home of Veteran Heidi Kruger The project is the first to combine the expertise of Rebuilding Together and the Code Council to assist area veterans and their families through Project H.E.R.O. (Homes Eliminated of Restrictions and Obstacles) program.

Enjoying the privacy and comfort of a warm shower at the end of the day is something most of us take for granted. However, this simple activity is not easy for Joshua Kruger, a 12 year-old boy who suffers from Duchene Muscular Dystrophy – a severe form of muscular dystrophy characterized by rapid muscle degeneration and eventual paralysis. Joshua is cared for by his mother, a single parent, who works from home to be with her son.

“The Code Council’s Foundation created this program to help America’s heroes, our active duty military and veterans, enjoy the essential benefits of building safety,” said Code Council CEO Rick Weiland. “This initiative is perfectly suited to Code Council members because they dedicate their professional lives to service and so often donate their personal time as well. We are proud to support the Krueger family and look forward to many more projects to make homes of our military families and veterans safer and more comfortable.”

Project H.E.R.O. is an innovative program aimed at improving the lives of disabled veterans across the United States. It blends the volunteer spirit and expertise of the International Code Council and its Foundation (ICCF) with the home rehabilitation expertise of Rebuilding Together and its dedicated Veterans Housing staff. The project goal is to make homes accessible, one veteran at a time.

“Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay” and Council volunteers will make the bathroom handicap accessible, paint the exterior of the home, provide minor kitchen repairs and finish landscaping around the home. “Veterans and soldiers have sacrificed so much for our country,” says Jose Garcia, Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay. “The unique partnership between Rebuilding Together and the ICC will be able to make this house, and many more homes, safer and more accessible for disabled veterans and their families.”

“Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay” continues to generate support for low-income families, the elderly, the disabled, members of the military, and veterans and their families by providing home repairs, improvements or modifications. To find out more about “Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay,” how to refer a family or how you can help, please visit www.rebuildingtogethertampabay.org or call 813.878.9000.

To learn more about the partnership between Rebuilding Together and the International Code Council, please visit www.rebuildingtogether.org/projecthero or call 1.800.473.4229.

About Rebuilding Together

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing home repair and renovation services free of charge to those in need. Through the support of corporate sponsors, local businesses and the hands-on work of over 200,000 volunteers, Rebuilding Together renovates and repairs nearly 10,000 homes and nonprofit facilities annually with a market value of nearly $100 million.

In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together renovates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on elder home safety, energy efficiency, veterans housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together has over 200 affiliates and recently celebrated the completion of its 100,000th project. For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

About the International Code Council

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council.