Bellaire Rotarians Fund Forklift for Houston Habitat, Volunteer Labor for Oprah's "Katrina Project"

Bellaire Rotarians Fund Forklift for Houston Habitat, Volunteer Labor for Oprah's "Katrina Project"

Houston/Bellaire, Texas (PRWEB) February 27, 2006

The day after Oprah Winfrey aired a Houston-filmed special featuring Houston Habitat for Humanity's construction of homes for Katrina victims, Bellaire/Southwest Rotary Club presented grant funding for a new forklift to Houston Habitat's CEO Larry Payne.

Payne accepted the donation during his February 23 keynote address to the Rotarians, expressing appreciation for the group's volunteer labor contributions to the "Oprah Project." The forklift grant reflects Rotary's confidence in Habitat Houston's ability to produce a multiplier-effect by combining local volunteer labor and funding with external donations.

"It's really fulfilling to achieve positive community impact in such a personal way," Club President Don Beckner said.

On February 22, KHOU/Channel 11 aired the on-location episode of Oprah!, filmed in Houston as a "Move-In Day" special to showcase the first wave of results from Houston Habitat's partnership with Winfrey's viewer-supported Angel Network.

"What I enjoy most about this is giving a hand up, not just a handout," Payne told Rotarians during the presentation ceremony. Habitat families are required to contribute 300 hours of "sweat equity" alongside volunteers, then purchase the homes under low or no interest mortgages with manageable payments. More than 40 Houston-area Rotarians are providing labor at Habitat construction sites during the end of February and the beginning of March 2006, and the Bellaire club has fielded labor crews to build Habitat homes in past years as well.

Accepting the grant check, Payne praised Rotary's 4-way test and service above self motto for reflecting a spirit that encourages humans to help each other for mutual benefit. "There are 'I' people and 'we' people," Payne said, noting that "we" people fill the world's gap between vision and reality.

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Oprah's Angel Network is building 65 homes for Katrina victims featuring interiors by Nate Berkus, a design expert on Oprah's show who's also on the cover of February's O, The Oprah Magazine. Photos and more information on the Katrina-homes project may be accessed at http://www.oprah.com (search word: Katrina), as well as through the Houston Habitat website at http://www.houstonhabitat.org.

The Rotary Club of Bellaire Southwest Houston meets at 12:00 Noon on Thursdays at Braeburn Country Club, 8100 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77074, and is one of 31,000 Rotary clubs in more than 165 countries providing humanitarian services and promoting goodwill around the globe. Information regarding Rotary grants, membership, and projects may be found at http://www.bellairesw.org and on the Rotary International website at http://www.rotary.org.

For additional information, CONTACT: F. Nan Wagoner, 713-668-5680; nwagoner@wagonerlaw.com Wagoner Burgert LLP Law Offices, The 5202 Spruce Law Bldg, Bellaire, TX 77401.

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