Oct 6, 2017

Deere expands hurricane relief support with $1 million donation

Deere & Company will make a $1 million cash donation to support Habitat Hammers Back, a long-term recovery initiative organized by Habitat for Humanity International to help repair and rebuild communities ravaged by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

“Habitat for Humanity has many years of experience helping families build back after disasters, providing longer-term, sustained efforts to help people and communities recover,” said Samuel R. Allen, chairman and CEO of Deere & Company. “Deere and its employees, dealers, and customers have already and will continue to be involved in these efforts.”

The $1 million commitment to Habitat Hammers Back is another step in the response by Deere and its Foundation to the hurricane disasters, including:

• An annual $500,000 contribution by the John Deere Foundation to the American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program that helps the Red Cross pre-position supplies, secure shelters, maintain vehicles and train volunteers, so response can begin immediately.
• Personal employee contributions of more than $100,000 to the Red Cross, local food banks, and other aid organizations – a total matched by the John Deere Foundation.
• Deployment of heavy equipment by John Deere’s business divisions and dealers to help in the recovery efforts.

Habitat’s three-phase disaster response focuses on immediate relief, community stabilization and long-term recovery. The organization is in its immediate response phase – including damage assessments and clean-up – in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean. Deere will encourage and organize individuals and teams of employees to support the recovery efforts through the company’s employee volunteer program.

Habitat has been responding to disasters since 1997 and to date has helped more than 230,000 families in 52 countries through its disaster response work. Following Hurricane Katrina, Habitat organizations along the Gulf Coast built more than 6,000 homes and removed debris and cleaned more than 2,500 homes in preparation for rehabilitation. Habitat also mounted responses to Superstorm Sandy, tornadoes through the South and Midwest, and earthquakes and typhoons overseas.