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Contact:
Corporate Development Officer
Sabrina Pourmand
(650) 568-7337
spourmand@peninsula
habitat.org
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Partnerships Spotlight
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente Builds
on Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream
Nearly half a century has passed since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s name has become synonymous with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Dr. King gave his life to protect the values for which he passionately advocated and for this, his dream continues to challenge and inspire caring people throughout the world. His wife, Coretta Scott King, once said that the best way to honor the life and legacy of her husband was to perform "individual acts of kindness through service to others."
On January 15, 2007, Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians from throughout the Bay Area responded to that call of service, and volunteered their time with one of five local Habitat for Humanity affiliates, including Peninsula Habitat for Humanity. As part its third annual Day of Volunteerism, Kaiser employees across the nation spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day giving back to their local communities.
Debbie Mendes was part of a team of volunteers from Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco who helped build homes that day. "KP South San Francisco has volunteered to build homes with Peninsula Habitat for the past several years," she said, "so, we were excited when Kaiser encouraged our whole region to volunteer with Habitat in honor of Martin Luther King Jr."
Mendes and her colleagues worked on homes in both Brisbane and South San Francisco, where they installed insulation and framed walls. Mendes said, "We had a great time getting out of the clinical setting and learning new construction skills."
Fellow colleague, Nick Greene, agreed that it was a fun, productive and exciting day. "I spent the day wedging fire blocks in between wooden planks. I never knew that fire blocks helped to slow down a fire. I always thought they were just for support, but they actually keep a fire from engulfing a wall so fast."
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