Reliant Energy Brings Light to Three Dallas Fort Worth Area Habitat for Humanity Families

DALLAS, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fifty Reliant Energy volunteers gathered up their tool belts and rallied to help Habitat for Humanity and the Texas Rangers construct three new homes for partner families in the North Texas area. Habitat for Humanity proclaimed today "Reliant Day," as the energy company's volunteers labored from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to work on the exterior of the homes, painting and installing siding.

"Habitat for Humanity has been a great team building exercise for Reliant," said James Ajello, senior vice president for Reliant Energy. "Our volunteers have worked hard today and we are all proud to be contributing to the success of such a worthy cause. It has given us the opportunity to strengthen relationships with the Dallas Fort Worth community."

The company's contribution to the project will continue to impact the partner families far beyond the original construction since Reliant has agreed to donate electricity to these homes for one full year.

"Reliant is committed to its customers beyond providing the energy they can count on every day," said James Robb, senior vice president, retail marketing, for Reliant Energy. "You can't see electricity, but contributing in a very hands-on way to the sweat equity that will make home ownership a reality for three Dallas Fort Worth area families is very rewarding and tangible."

Habitat for Humanity is especially proud of this project because it marks a milestone impossible in the world of baseball: batting more than 1,000. The Council of North Texas has built more than 1,000 homes in the region.

Though it's taken Habitat 20 years to build its first 1,000 homes here, they're now on pace to build that many every five years, thanks in part to partners like Reliant Energy and the Texas Rangers.

"The partnership will build three homes -- two at Ameriquest Field in Arlington and a third on location -- each year for a 30-year period beginning in 2004 and working side by side with partner families and the Texas Rangers," said Ann Chappell for Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for Humanity builds homes in partnership with families who invest 300-400 volunteer hours, known as "sweat equity." Sponsors and donors underwrite construction costs of Habitat for Humanity homes. After partner families buy their homes, Habitat makes monthly payments more affordable by providing a no-interest mortgage.

Reliant Day is part of a nine-day building project intended to fully construct two of three Habitat for Humanity homes built this year in partnership with the Texas Rangers, Reliant Energy and donors to the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation. Habitat for Humanity aims to have these latest two homes ready for the partner families to occupy by Thanksgiving Day. The project will culminate in a house dedication ceremony at 2 p.m., Tuesday, August 23, at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas. The press and public will be invited.

Other sponsors include Ameriquest Mortgage Company, CareerBuilders.com, United Service Association for Health Care Foundation, Borden, Brookshire, Comcast, El Fenix and the North Texas Men's Senior Baseball League.

Reliant Energy, Inc. , based in Houston, Texas, provides electricity and energy services to retail and wholesale customers in the U.S. The company provides energy products and services to approximately 1.9 million electricity customers, ranging from residences and small businesses to large commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional customers, primarily in Texas. Reliant also serves commercial and industrial clients in the PJM (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland) Interconnection. The company is one of the largest independent power producers in the nation with approximately 19,000 megawatts of power generation capacity in operation or under contract across the U.S. These strategically located generating assets utilize natural gas, wind, fuel oil and coal. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.reliant.com/corporate .

Habitat for Humanity builds quality, affordable homes in partnership with families, using volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. Sponsors and donors underwrite construction costs of Habitat for Humanity homes. Partner families, as homebuyers are known, invest hundreds of hours of sweat equity in the construction of their homes or others' houses, working side by side with volunteers. Families then buy their homes, making affordable monthly payments on a no-interest mortgage held by Habitat.

The North Central Texas Council of Habitat for Humanity is a regional alliance of more than 15 area Habitat affiliates and chapters working together to build homes and support for Habitat's work from Gainesville to Granbury and from Stephenville to Greenville.