Schaeffler donation makes Habitat home possible
Chris Shamie, left, of Schaeffler presents a check for $135,000 to Habitat for Humanity Wayne County Executive Director Beth Weaver, shown here with others at the site of the HBH home on Williams Way in Wooster made possible through the donation.
Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County recently announced it has been gifted $135,000 from Schaeffler. These funds will be used to partner with HBH in constructing an affordable house in Wayne County.
“Time and time again, we are amazed at the generosity of our giving community and are forever grateful that Schaeffler is so willing to help families in need in Wayne County,” said Scott Davis, Wayne County Habitat board president. “These funds will be extremely impactful in helping Habitat reach our strategic goals of building more homes for those in need. Not only is their monetary donation amazing, but also their commitment of time and people to help in the construction process.”
Executive Director Beth Weaver also stressed how far-reaching this gift is.
“This partnership extends so much further than impacting one family. By assisting low-income families in achieving their American dream, our community becomes enriched,” Weaver said. “Renters become homeowners and vested members of our community as well as property taxpaying citizens. Even the construction of the house gives back to our community as 70% of the funds used to build the house are spent right here in our county, and 90% remain in Ohio.”
Weaver said while this funding is a vital part of their mission, Schaeffler has committed even more to this project by challenging their employees to join as a team in building the home.
“By encouraging their employees to volunteer in this sponsorship-build, the house-building becomes team-building. In the Habitat world, we like to say, ‘The excitement is building,’ and we are looking forward to spending time with the Schaeffler team to improve our community,” Weaver said.
The foundation for the Schaeffler-built house has already been completed, and the first team-building day was Aug. 10. The house is located on Williams Way in Wooster.
Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County has been serving the community for 37 years. The Schaeffler house will be the 92nd house built through the program. HBH homes are sold to people who have met income requirements, completed homeownership and financial classes, and who have put in 300 hours of sweat equity by building their homes or working at other Habitat builds.
“We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to sponsor and help build a Habitat for Humanity home in Wooster,” said Marc McGrath, regional CEO Americas, Schaeffler. “This initiative aligns with our commitment to giving back to the community where so many of our employees live and work, and we are proud to contribute to creating a lasting impact in the lives of families in need.”
Wooster is home to Schaeffler’s facility for the development and production of electric mobility solutions. This site employs more than 1,600 Schaeffler team members dedicated to the development and manufacturing of transmission systems, e-mobility components, torque converters, ring gear carriers and one-way clutch assemblies for the largest automakers in the country.