“YouthBuild is an ideal partner organization to work with – its goal is to impact the lives of young people while improving their communities. We’re glad to have the opportunity to partner with them,” said Ethel Williams, FPL regional manager of corporate external affairs.

Juno Beach, FL (March 28, 2012) — Six homes in Riviera Beach got a makeover on March 26, 2012, thanks to over 90 volunteers from Florida Power & Light Company and the YouthBuild organization. As part of FPL‘s Power to Care Week, volunteers worked under the direction of the young women and men of YouthBuild to repaint homes and landscape gardens.

The team – armed with paint, brushes, flowering plants, and gardening tools – revitalized the homes to bring the benefit of improved housing to the entire neighborhood, cultivating pride in the community.

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

“YouthBuild is an ideal partner organization to work with – its goal is to impact the lives of young people while improving their communities. We’re glad to have the opportunity to partner with them,” said Ethel Williams, FPL regional manager of corporate external affairs. “Working hand-in-hand with at-risk young adults while helping homeowners improve their homes is a testament to how powerful FPL volunteerism can be in giving back in such a positive, sustainable way to the communities we serve.”

YouthBuild is a nonprofit that recruits unemployed and undereducated young people ages 18 to 24 to work toward passing the GED examination or receiving a high school diploma while learning work and social skills by building and enhancing affordable housing.

“We appreciate FPL’s hands-on partnership to help Riviera Beach YouthBuild give back and assist us in making a difference in our community,” said Miguel Rada, program director of Riviera Beach YouthBuild. “One of our program’s components is to take an active role in revitalizing your community, and it is great to have FPL share in the same value of community service. FPL is playing a key role in actively building up our Riviera Beach community.”

This is the second year FPL has partnered with YouthBuild for Power to Care Week. In 2011, approximately 70 employees volunteered to help with the house-painting blitz.

For more information on Riviera Beach YouthBuild, visit http://www.rbyouthbuild.org. (To view Photos, please click here: http://on.fb.me/GTJshe)

Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408
305-552-3888
amelia.gomez@rbbpr.com
http://www.fpl.com