Full announcement from Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity:

ASHEVILLE, NC – Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity has received a grant from Thrivent Builds of over $75,000 to build a home in Swannanoa. This will be the 6th Habitat home sponsorship that the organization has awarded to the affiliate.

The grant provides 60% of the cost of construction for the house in Swannanoa (50% from Thrivent Builds and 10% from the local Thrivent chapter), and was given to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity by Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity, a unique partnership between Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Habitat for Humanity International.

This grant was awarded in conjunction with an announcement of a national gift made by Thrivent Financial on Dec. 17, 2012. The 2013 commitment from the organization is $6.8 million and will push the total giving from Thrivent Financial past $180 million during the eight-year partnership between the two organizations.

Habitat for Humanity’s relationship with Thrivent Financial brings the financial, volunteer and advocacy resources of Thrivent Financial together with the affordable housing construction leadership of hundreds of local Habitat for Humanity affiliates. To date, Thrivent volunteers have donated more than 3.5 million hours to construct 1,922 homes in the U.S.

The 2013 commitment will fund the construction and rehabilitation of 113 Habitat for Humanity homes in 31 states, including the home built by Asheville Area Habitat in Swannanoa. Locally, the Southeast Region Blue Ridge Associates regional field office of Thrivent Financial will supply member and employee volunteers to help build the house. This house is one in a community of 17 homes that Asheville Area Habitat will build in Swannanoa.

Four local Asheville area Lutheran churches will also join in this partnership to provide additional funding and volunteers to help build the home. They are: Abiding Savior; Emmanuel Lutheran; Church of the Nativity; and St. Mark’s.

“We are deeply grateful for Thrivent Financial’s partnership and steadfast commitment to decent, affordable housing around the world,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Working together since 2005 through the Thrivent Builds program, Habitat and Thrivent have engaged volunteers to help thousands of families improve their homes and the communities in which they live.”