Aluminum cans making home ownership a dream come true!

What’s the "Can Build House" you ask, well, how many aluminum cans do you think it takes to build a house? How does 3,000,000 sound? That’s right – that is a lot of cans. So why do we need to know, because GLHFH is going to build a home and will use the proceeds from the cans to cover the cost of building materials. When the community responds by recycling their aluminum cans with GLHFH, another family will achieve the opportunity of home ownership.  The project is in response to the “Cans for Habitat” initiative sponsored by the Aluminum Association. The Aluminum Association has been partnering with Habitat for Humanity International since 1997. The Association offers Habitat for Humanity affiliates incentives to challenge the community to recycle aluminum cans. Since October of 2002 citizens around our area have helped collect over 10,000 pounds of aluminum which have contributed to twelve different building projects.

In 2006 Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity was awarded first prize in the Cans for Habitat grant award opportunity. Thanks to the Lynchburg community the affiliate was able to win the top prize of $45,000. This award was given to only 1 of over 600 affiliates applying for the grant.  The grant funding enabled the affiliate to build another house for a qualified family and the dedication of this house was on February 17, 2007.

We are most grateful to the Lynchburg community who helped us collect cans and to our recyling partners, Cycle Systems and Bryant Salvage, and  to the City of Lynchburg for use of their containers and to Allied Waste for their help and to Belvac Production Machinery - located in Lynchburg.  Belvac manufactures the machines that make aluminum cans.  We could not have done it without these outstanding community partners.

Currently, the recycling bin locations are: Lower Level of the Plaza, River Ridge Mall, and Forest Plaza West. 

For more information on how you can help – please call Elizabeth Richardson at Greater Lynchburg Habitat for Humanity, 434-528-3774.