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Feb. 26, 2004
Millard Fuller
Dear Millard: I hope all is well with you and that you can see steady progress toward meeting your challenge in the More Than Houses campaign. To bring up you to speed quickly on how we are contributing, the Vinyl Partners for Humanity worked on two builds in 2003 with your Greater Baton Rouge affiliate. Last spring, we built five homes in a blitz build in Plaquemine, and this past fall we participated in the 100th home build in Baton Rouge. We are scheduled to build four homes with your Calcasieu affiliate in Lake Charles this September. And, we are planning a large build in 2005 back in Baton Rouge. We continue to be firmly committed to the values and principles that drive Habitat. I want to make you aware of a situation with your New Orleans affiliate that I feel violates the spirit and value of Habitat. The New Orleans affiliate is building four homes beginning March 18 with completion scheduled around April 17. For this, we commend them and support their efforts. But, the sponsors of one of the homes, Greenpeace and the Healthy Building Network, are using this wonderful occasion not so much to celebrate affordable housing as to bash a building material that they do not like. They are issuing press releases (see press release at www.greenpeaceusa.org/bin/view.fpl/7434/article/1018.html ) to tell about products and materials they are not using during the upcoming build. They could ? and should -- be talking about the materials they are using and why those materials will help make their house livable, durable, affordable, etc., for a wonderful and deserving family. As we see it, Greenpeace and the Healthy Building Network are advancing a political agenda at the expense of other building materials industries. To accomplish this, they are exploiting the humanitarian ideals and works of Habitat for Humanity. They are trying to use Habitat to injure our industry in spite of (or because of) our strong record of commitment to helping people and communities through your organization. As you know, we feel that everyone is welcome to participate with Habitat and to build homes out of all types of building materials. But, I feel this media/political campaign by Greenpeace/Healthy Building Network is misusing the good value and reputation of Habitat. We would appreciate your looking into this situation. Please call me if you have questions or comments. Thank you. Best Regards,
Tim Burns, President & CEO
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