Dana People To Construct Ohio's 200th Habitat for Humanity Home During State Bicentennial

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 30, 2003 -- Dana Corporation employees in conjunction with Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHFH) will partner with a local Toledo family to build Ohio's 200th Habitat for Humanity home during the state's bicentennial year.

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During the summer of 2003 more than 200 Dana people and their family members will volunteer some 800 hours of personal time to build a new home for the Rudy Lira family. A vacant lot at the corner of Gribbin Lane and Brooke Park Drive, just north of the Alexis-Lewis intersection, is the site of the future Lira residence.

Dana Chairman and CEO Joe Magliochetti said, "Dana people take great pride in their communities and have always been active in their support through numerous voluntary endeavors. This bicentennial Habitat for Humanity project is one more worthy example of Dana people finding a better way to help their neighbors."

In addition to building the house, Dana employees have volunteered to donate and serve meals, landscape the property, and perform the tasks necessary to make the house a home for the Liras.

Rudy and Maria Lira and three of their children are currently renting a small, aging house. Rudy works as a translator with the Toledo/Lucas County Victim/Witness Assistance Program, while Maria is a homemaker.

The Lira family met MVHFH's criteria to qualify for the home: a need for affordable shelter, a willingness to become partners in the Habitat for Humanity program, and the ability to repay the no-interest loan.

According to MVHFH executive director, Chuck Thayer, the Lira family has logged nearly all of their required 500 "sweat equity" hours in the building of other Habitat for Humanity homes. Their mortgage payments, in turn, will be recycled toward future home builds for other families.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 31, with representatives from Dana, MVHFH, and the Lira family. The project will culminate with a dedication ceremony Sept. 6.

Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit Christian housing ministry whose purpose is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. HFH International has built more than 125,000 houses around the world since 1976, and its local affiliate, MVHFH, has built more than 70 homes since 1989 with the help of more 10,000 volunteers.

Dana Corporation is a global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacture of value-added products and systems for automotive, commercial, and off-highway vehicle manufacturers and their related aftermarkets. The company employs more than 60,000 people worldwide. Founded in 1904 and based in Toledo, Ohio, Dana operates hundreds of technology, manufacturing, and customer service facilities in 30 countries. The company reported 2002 sales of $9.5 billion.

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