MEDIA ADVISORY
May 16, 2008

WHAT: Senior Johns Hopkins leadership take hammers in hand for Habitat for Humanity.

WHO: 
 Edward D. Miller, dean/CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine
 Ron Peterson, president, The Johns Hopkins Hospital/Health System
 Pamela Paulk, vice president, human resources, The Johns Hopkins Hospital/ Health System
 Steve Thompson, senior vice president, Johns Hopkins Medicine
 The new homeowner

WHEN: 8:30 a.m., Friday, May 23  

WHERE: 811 N. Washington Street

Johns Hopkins Medicine’s top leadership team will replace their Blackberries, cell phones and pens on Friday morning with hammers, saws and paint brushes to help put finishing touches on a formerly empty and dilapidated East Baltimore row house. As part of the Habitat for Humanity program, the newly restored house will become home to a low-income family.  The proud owner of the new house will be working along side Hopkins officials to complete the renovation. 

In addition to the hands-on volunteers for the restoration, Johns Hopkins provided financial support for the project through the sale of historic slate tiles from the iconic Hopkins dome.

Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization which provides simple, decent and affordable homeownership opportunities in partnership with families in need. Homes are sold with no-interest loans to qualified home buyers who earn 25 percent to 50 percent of the area median income and currently live in conditions of need. Future homeowners contribute 350 hours of "sweat equity" through a mix of hands-on construction work and home buyer readiness classes. Chesapeake Habitat has rehabilitated a total of 127 houses in Baltimore City.