Ala Moana Center’s “Family Portrait” Event Lets
Shoppers Personally Help to Bring the Dream of Home
Ownership to Low Income Families
HONOLULU – Starting May 25, Ala Moana Center shoppers can personally contribute to helping alleviate substandard housing and the lack of affordable housing in Hawaii. In collaboration with Hawaii Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit home building organization which partners with very low income families, Ala Moana Center will host an 8-foot by 10-foot house frame display as part of their first annual “Family Portraits” event. The house frame will be located on Ala Moana Center’s Mall Level, Centercourt and is a part of GGP’s commitment to raise money and awareness for its new national charity partner, Habitat for Humanity.
The wooden house frame will be covered with hundreds of stickers Each sticker will represent one of the more than 71,000 families on Oahu living in substandard housing conditions. Individuals who make a donation to Habitat for Humanity may remove one of the stickers, signifying that they have helped to bring the dream of homeownership to very low-income families in Hawaii. A smaller replica of a house frame will also be located on the Street Level near Centerstage. Habitat for Humanity volunteers will be present at both locations to provide shoppers with information on Habitat for Humanity, and how their donation will be used to help improve housing conditions in Hawaii. The house frame will be on display for shoppers throughout the Memorial Day weekend, from May 25 – 28. Statewide, GGP has committed to raising $50,000 during 2007, which will be used for materials and supplies for the homes that Habitat for Humanity builds.
On May 25, Ala Moana Center will also hold a one-day house-framing event on the Mall Level of its parking deck, to erect the frame of a two-bedroom house. All of the labor will be completed entirely by volunteer GGP Hawaii employees and the completed frame will later become the home of one Leeward Habitat for Humanity partner family on Oahu. The frame of the completed house will be on display in the Ala Moana Center parking lot, on the Mall Level, makai side, near Sears throughout the Memorial Day weekend.
For more information about the many ways that GGP and Habitat for Humanity are working to foster hope by building homes in Hawaii, and for information on how you can get involved, please visit www.alamoanacenter.com.
ABOUT ALA MOANA CENTER
Ala Moana Center is the world’s largest outdoor shopping center and Hawaii’s premier shopping, entertainment, and dining destination with 260 stores, including nearly 70 dining options. Ala Moana Center features a diverse collection of stores including locally owned boutiques and national retailers. Visit www.AlaMoanaCenter.com for more information.
Ala Moana Center is owned and managed by General Growth Properties, Inc., the second largest U.S.-based publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) based upon market capitalization. General Growth has ownership interest or management responsibility for a portfolio of more than 200 regional shopping malls in 45 states, as well as ownership interest in master-planned community developments and commercial office centers. General Growth’s international portfolio includes ownership and management interest in shopping centers in Brazil and Turkey. The company’s portfolio totals approximately 200 million square feet and includes more than 24,000 retail stores nationwide. General Growth Properties, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GGP. For more information, please visit www.ggp.com.
ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN HAWAII
For nearly 20 years, Habitat for Humanity in Hawaii has helped over 200 low-income families build simple, decent homes that they can afford to buy throughout the islands. Habitat affiliates are funded by tax-deductible contributions and aided by thousands of volunteers. Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent, affordable houses that are sold to families in need – partner families. There is no profit added to the sale price, and no interest charged on the mortgage. Partner families invest hundreds of hours of their own labor – sweat equity – into building their homes and the homes of others. Their monthly house payments are returned to a “Fund for Humanity” that is used to build more houses.
