Habitat for Humanity

History

CIPH has been a partner of Habitat for Humanity Canada for 12 years providing through its members, $3.5 million in cash and products to Habitat for Humanity Canada and our affiliates.  CIPH is now one of Habitat for Humanity Canada’s largest contributing partners. Since 1994, Habitat for Humanity affiliates have built nearly 1,000 homes for families in need. CIPH and its members have been key supporters in helping affiliates achieve this level of growth in Canada, but the work is not yet complete. By partnering with Habitat for Humanity Canada, CIPH is taking a hands-on, active approach to improving our Canadian communities – one family at a time.

CIPH Honourary Vice Chairman Case de Jong (President of Franke Kindred Canada Limited) spearheaded the initial campaigns and was responsible for the development of the unique certificate program that the Institute uses to distribute products to Habitat affiliates across the country. The certificate program has been so successful that Habitat organizations in other countries are hoping to use it as a model.

In 1993 it was CIPH Board’s vision to align the association with a charity that would tie in with the philosophy of building, renovations and providing hope. Our members believe in the “hand up, not a hand out” approach and this was one of the key criteria for choosing Habitat. Our goal was to raise funds for Habitat, celebrate the cause with a charity Gala dinner and tie it in with our tradeshow in Toronto. So in 1994 we began our fundraising campaign and we held our first charity Gala in support of Habitat in March of that year. We attracted over 300 senior executives. The Gala provided an opportunity to roast a senior executive in the industry who had made major contributions to CIPH and the industry. We included a live and silent auction and celebrated the achievement of raising $117,000.

In 2003, the Board raised the bar by challenging CIPH members to continue their strong support of Habitat so that the Institute can build a home every two years across the country. The challenge was enthusiastically and immediately accepted.

The first CIPH Home was in Niagara region and was completed in 2003 and in December 2005 the second home was completed in Moncton, New Brunswick. A third home was built in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 2006 and plans are well underway for the fourth home to be built in Charlottetown, PEI. A dedication ceremony will take place with over 200 CIPH members expected to attend to watch the McWilliam Family receive the keys to their new home.

The benefit that CIPH realizes from the partnership with Habitat is quite simple:
Together we provide a “hand up, not a hand out” and we are proud to help build homes with low-income partner families. Habitat families pay an interest-free mortgage for land and materials and contribute “sweat equity” as a down payment.

The 2008/2009 CIPH Charity Committee, led by Russ Morgan (IPEX) and his committee consisting of Co-Chair Adrien Pilon (Emco), David Coffey (In-Sink-Erator), Case de Jong (Franke Kindred), Kevin Fullan (Mueller Flow), Don Hambly (GSW Water Products), John Hammill (Moen), Peter Howell (Cello Products), David Morden (ECR), Eric Richard (Wolseley Canada), and Peter Stojanov (Onward) have set a goal to raise $1,500,000 in cash & products and help build 450 homes in Canada.