As part of their annual “Power to Care” week, more than 70 FPL employees rolled up their sleeves to help Habitat for Humanity build new, affordable homes and revitalize a distressed community in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami.

Habitat’s Greater Miami Chapter is building 114 homes in this community and rehabilitating more than 40 others. The two-year initiative called “Liberty City Shine” is one of the most aggressive building schedules the chapter has ever attempted, said Mario Artecona, chief executive officer of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami.

FPL’s volunteer support arrived just in time to help drive the project forward.

“By building alongside our partner families, FPL once again demonstrates its commitment to corporate responsibility. The company’s financial generosity is only exceeded by its enthusiasm to help others,” said Habitat’s Artecona. “We are forever grateful for the support.  FPL is a great partner to Habitat and continues to set the standard for corporate community engagement.”

FPL volunteers joined in to help with framing and insulation, installing of windows and doors, painting, tiling, landscaping, and other construction-related tasks – all with the ultimate goal of building quality homes for low-income families in need of a decent, affordable place to live. 

One of the volunteers, Patricia Beliard, works in FPL's Community Service department and she was actually pulling double-duty today: she was able to work alongside her fellow employees and apply her volunteer hours toward the Habitat requirement of 250 hours to qualify for her own home. "I am so grateful to be out here today with my coworkers. They are helping me achieve my dream of owning my own home for the first time in my life. I am blessed and grateful."

This event is just one of 22 volunteer projects taking place during FPL’s Power to Care Week. Throughout the week, a volunteer group of more than 900, consisting of employees and their families, spread out across the state to help clean beaches and restore dunes, landscape nonprofit facilities, spruce up parks, beautify gardens, and more.

“Habitat is doing some terrific work here in Liberty City and FPL is so glad to be a part of it,” said Meredith Rollo, FPL Community Relations specialist. “We’re delighted to help make dreams come true for families in this community.”