One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to community and society is through our partnership with Habitat for Humanity International.   

Our support of Habitat for Humanity International began in 1999 when we decided to donate a refrigerator and range to every Habitat for Humanity home built in North America through a five-year, $25 million commitment to the organization.  In 2005, we expanded our commitment by announcing plans to support every Habitat home built globally by 2011, either through product donations, cash, or home sponsorship.

Whirlpool and our employees have directly improved the lives of more than 36,000 families.  Our commitment to Habitat for Humanity has exceeded $34 million and we have donated more than 73,000 appliances through our involvement in Habitat for Humanity.  More than 4,500 Whirlpool employees have volunteered their time to build more than 115 Habitat homes for people around the world.  These numbers continues to grow, demonstrating our commitment and desire to make a difference in the world in which we do business. 

Following are some highlights of Whirlpool Corporation's involvement with Habitat for Humanity:

In November 2006, Whirlpool started the annual Building Blocks program, designed to raise awareness and help eliminate substandard housing in the United States.  Each year the program recognizes an outstanding U.S. Habitat for Humanity affiliate and its relationship with its local community by holding a week-long build in the affiliate's community. The program kicked off in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006, when Whirlpool united 300 volunteers to build 10 homes on one block in one week.   In May 2007, Building Blocks traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, where 100 local residents along with 100 Whirlpool employees and volunteers from 100 U.S. Habitat affiliates built nine homes in one week.  We are looking forward to building more homes in Dallas, Texas, in 2008.                                         

In 2006, more than 20 Whirlpool India employees participated in the week-long Jimmy Carter Work Project in India, which resulted in the completion of 100 homes in a village near Mumbai. 

In 2006, Whirlpool was honored with a 2005 Benefactor of the Year award for our work with Habitat for Humanity International in Poland.  Whirlpool employees have been active in builds in the cities of Gliwice, Poznan and Gdansk.  Whirlpool also donated appliances for each new home built.

In 2005, Whirlpool India began a partnership with Habitat for Humanity India.  Volunteers from Whirlpool participated in the build organized by Habitat for Tsunami victims in the southern part of India. 

In June 2005, Habitat for Humanity held its annual Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  This week-long effort cumulated in the completion of more than 230 houses in Michigan.  Whirlpool was the lead sponsor for the build and 270 Whirlpool employees from 19 nations worked together to build 10 houses during the week.

To facilitate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, Whirlpool worked with Habitat to support "Operation Home Delivery."  Whirlpool employees helped construct approximately 50 pre-built homes in New York's Rockefeller Center that were boxed and shipped to Louisiana and Mississippi and later erected with the help of Whirlpool employees in St. Tamany Parrish, Louisiana. In January 2007, Whirlpool chose to hold its annual sales meeting in New Orleans.  As part of that meeting, more than 1,000 Whirlpool employees spent one day volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in an effort to continue rebuilding New Orleans' residential areas.

Since 2004, Whirlpool has sponsored entertainment icon Reba McEntire's music tours to raise awareness and more than $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity.