By Jason Schwartz
EverBank Financial Corp. presented Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County a check for $50,000 to support the Ocean Breeze West Community in Boynton Beach recently.
The contribution, presented by Chuck Ivy, EverBank Vice President for Community Development, was EverBank’s first to Habitat for Humanity SPBC. However, the Florida-based financial institution is a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity in Jacksonville. Since 1996, EverBank has contributed over $2 million and built 57 homes in Jacksonville—the highest number of homes sponsored by a single company in the region. Additionally, EverBank has donated over $7 million to nearly 100 charitable groups since 2006. EverBank’s community giving program giving is primarily focused on three critical areas of need, including children’s services, affordable housing and education.
Habitat SPBC has been serving Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach since 1991, and has to date completed 103 homes. The Ocean Breeze West project, a 21 home community located in the Heart of Boynton Beach, marks the first multi-house development the organization has constructed.
All Habitat homeowners contribute a minimum of 400 hours of “sweat equity” working on the construction of their home and the homes of others and participate in educational programs designed to strengthen the entire family and help to ensure their success as new homeowners.
The new homeowners will make monthly payments on a low-cost, no-interest mortgage, which in turn will go toward building more Habitat homes for families in need in South Palm Beach County.