KINGSTON. R.I.—July 14, 2010 — The University of Rhode Island has formed a partnership with South County Habitat for Humanity to launch a Habitat building project of up to four single-family homes in South Kingstown, near the URI campus. At the same time, the partners will raise funds for Habitat homes to be built in Haiti and Chile.

“An important part of our mission at URI is outreach and service. This campus and community-wide partnership perfectly fits with that mission. It provides us with a unique opportunity to work together to meet an urgent local need for affordable housing,” said the Rev. Lynn Baker-Dooley, honorary chairperson of the recently formed URI Building Homes Campaign.

The URI Helping Haiti Committee donated the first building homes campaign gift. The committee, composed of students and faculty, organized the University’s response following the Haiti earthquake.

“The committee gave $2,500, which will pay the entire cost of building the first URI Habitat home in Haiti and 1,000 “URI Cares” pins to the partnership for distribution. I can’t believe we have already funded one international home before the campaign has officially been launched,” said Baker-Dooley.

Habitat for Humanity International asked each of its affiliates to set aside funding to build a Habitat home in Haiti and one in Chile, both devastated by earthquakes this year. Therefore the fundraising goal of $80,000 for each South County home includes $2,500 each for the homes in Haiti and Chile.

“We hope that URI students and staff will be able to go to Haiti and Chile with Habitat International to build the homes that this partnership supports,” said Baker-Dooley.

For more information, visit http://www.uri.edu/habitat.