Mexico - December 06, 2004

Dow employees and workers of two Dow-customer companies were in Mexico recently to help Habitat for Humanity build 150 houses in one week.

The volunteers were part of the 21st annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP). Each year, with the help of former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalyn, Habitat sponsors a major blitz build at a different location around the world. Previous builds have been held in South Korea, Kentucky, New York, South Africa, the Philippines and other locations.

“The JCWP in Mexico was an exciting week of building hope, lives and dreams in partnership with families in need,” says Bob Plishka, global business communications leader for Building and Construction. “At the event, Dow employees worked side-by-side with customers and other volunteers from around the world to help families who are making huge strides toward independence and stability.”

Passing the Hammer
At the end of the JCWP in Mexico, International Habitat volunteers symbolically “passed the hammer” to representatives of the next JCWP blitz build, which will be held in Michigan in June 2005.

Dow is a main sponsor of the 2005 JCWP, which involves construction of 250 new houses in 89 communities in just one week. Dow will join Whirlpool Corporation, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse and others as sponsors.

Corporate sponsors will provide volunteers and funding. They also will lead the effort to encourage more companies and individuals to get involved in Habitat’s biggest annual event.

“Over the years, Dow has played an active role in every Jimmy Carter Work Project through corporate sponsorship, providing thousands of board feet of STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene insulation and offering teams of Dow employee volunteers,” says Larry Washington, corporate vice president of Sustainability, Environment, Health and Safety. “Our sponsorship is a natural extension of our 20-year commitment to this very important cause and a tangible example of Dow and our people living our Mission and Values in the vital communities of Michigan.”

For the 2005 build, Dow will sponsor homes and volunteers in Detroit, Midland and Saginaw, in addition to providing event funding.

Habitat for Humanity is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the elimination of substandard housing. The goal of Habitat is to build simple, decent and affordable housing for families in need. Since its inception in 1976, the organization has built more than 150,000 homes around the world, providing housing for more than 750,000 people in more than 3,000 communities.

For Editorial Information:

Doug Brinklow
The Dow Chemical Company
(989) 636-2320