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Dedication Held at the Shearer's Sponsored Habitat for Humanity House in Massillon

01/14/2012

Brewster, Ohio: The dedication ceremony for the Shearer’s Foods-sponsored Habitat for Humanity House was held Saturday, January 14, 2012. Home owners, The Chambers Family (Brandon and Crystal and daughter, Payton), moved into their new home later that day. The house was built in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Stark and Carroll Counties. At the ceremony, house keys were exchanged for mortgage payments. Shearer’s generously paid the first month’s rent for the family.

Shearer’s Foods’ Executive Team began the first day of construction on September 13, 2011. CEO Bob Shearer, President Scott W. Smith and CFO Fritz Kohmann led a group of 11 Shearer’s Vice Presidents in framing the house located at 383 McKinley Avenue SW Massillon in the Columbia Heights district.

"Building our Habitat house gives Shearer's associates a great opportunity to support a family right here in our community, while reinforcing the company's family values," said Bob Shearer.

Shearer's associates from the company's Brewster, Massillon and Navarre locations put in hundreds of hours on the construction site framing walls, hanging siding and installing drywall. In addition to supplying the volunteer labor for the build, Shearer’s also provided the $50,000 sponsorship needed to purchase building materials for the home.

"We think it says a whole lot about a company and its leadership when they give back to the community in which they work in such a big way," said Beth Lechner, Executive Director of Habitat. "We are so thankful for this partnership with Shearer’s, and it’s been so exciting to see everyone come together on this project – taking one step closer to the goal of eliminating poverty housing."

Founded in 1988, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Stark and Carroll Counties is a grass-roots, non-profit Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing in the local community. It is a proven program to help working people achieve the dream of homeownership through a 20-year no interest mortgage. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat provides low-income families with an opportunity for homeownership that would not otherwise be possible. Families partnering with Habitat help build their own home.

Steve Surmary, Shearer's Senior Vice President of Co-Pack Operations, serves on the Habitat Board.