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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">We at Habitat for Humanity of Missoula (HfHM) are proud to share with you some amazing news – our cause was selected to be a part of the online voting process for State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist program. As the ONLY organization in Missoula AND in Montana to be represented in the national pool of 200, we are eager to rally as much attention and support for our cause as possible. The top 40 organizations receiving the most online votes are awarded $25,000, and we need you to help us bring the funds to our community!<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">Please connect with us on Facebook and RSVP/share the event: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/219884122041740/" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline">https://www.facebook.com/events/219884122041740/</a><span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">Additionally, we would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word throughout your networks. Any person over 18 with a valid e-mail can vote up to ten times DAILY from August 15-24. <span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">Our voting page can be found here: <a href="https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2011284" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline">https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2011284</a><span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">Home-ownership has the potential to transform not only the lives of children and families within stable housing structures, but neighborhoods, communities, and regions. In 27 years of work in Missoula, we have helped hundreds of children and 53 families gain stability, strength and self-reliance through home-ownership; as costs of living continue rise exponentially in our city, the need for support has become greater than ever.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">Thank you for your time & support on this venture!<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">*Below (and attached) is our official press release for this competition. Please consider sharing this press release to help get the word out.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif">All the best,<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><i><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Emily Allen<span></span></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">Habitat for Humanity of Missoula, Montana<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><i><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)">“Whatever good things we build end up building us.” – Jim Rohn<span></span></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/habitatforhumanitymissoula/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline">FB: @habitatforhumanitymissoula</a><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"NeueHaasGroteskText Pro",sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/missoulahabitat/" style="color:rgb(5,99,193);text-decoration:underline">Insta: @missoulahabitat</a><span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><u><span style="font-size:10.5pt">For Immediate Release<span></span></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Missoula Nonprofit is the only Montana organization among 200 national groups vying for a $25,000 grant from State Farm<span></span></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a program that awards $25,000 grants to 40 charitable causes across the country. The application process for the Neighborhood Assist program is lengthy and competitive, with State Farm dwindling down 2,000 applications to 200. But in the end, the public votes to select 40 causes out of the 200 to each receive a $25,000 grant. This year, Habitat for Humanity of Missoula (HfHM) applied for the Neighborhood Assist program and after beating out 1,800 other applicants, Habitat is now the only applicant from Montana to be competing for a winning top 40 spot and $25,000. But now it is up to all of us to come together and vote for HfHM to ensure that $25,000 is put into the Missoula community and used for local Montanan families.<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">“As all of us know, whether we are fundraising or donating funds to a non-profit in Montana, the constant requests and effort remains challenging, and includes a huge output of human capital to raise what is needed. Even though Missoula is extremely generous, this opportunity brings national dollars into our community and will have a big impact on our ability to get our mission accomplished,” states Noreen Humes, HFHM Executive Director. <span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Each year, Habitat for Humanity of Missoula partners with eligible Missoula families to provide safe, decent, and affordable homes for those living in substandard housing. To make homeownership a reality for Missoulians living in poverty, we sell our homes to eligible families at cost with no interest or profit, allowing us to provide affordable housing while also educating our community about poverty housing and the Habitat solution. By providing low income Missoulian families with safe and affordable housing, we see the cycle of poverty being broken, an increase in the safety and happiness of low income children and adults, and an overall improvement in the appearance and value of Missoula’s neighborhoods. The work that HfHM does therefore not only changes the lives of each family we partner with, it also makes Missoula a stronger, safer, and more prosperous community for all. <span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Every year, the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program benefits educational, safety, and community development causes across the US. Winning this generous $25,000 State Farm grant is going to be a challenge, but HfHM knows that if anyone can do it, Montanans can. The only way for HfHM to win is for the public to go online and vote. Voting opens August 15. People can help us by sharing the event from our Facebook page at </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/219884122041740" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:10pt">https://www.facebook.com/events/219884122041740</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span>and vote at this link <span style="font-size:10pt"> </span><a href="https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2011284" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:10pt">https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2011284</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt">.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"> If you are a US resident and 18 or older you can vote for Habitat up to 10 times a day each day through Friday, Aug. 24. While HfHM needs votes, they also need the Big Sky to spread the word. To win, HfHM asks for voters to share the competition and voting link on social media and by emailing family, friends, and coworkers. The voting period lasts only ten days, but HfHM knows that ten days is enough time for Montanans and their out of state friends to vote to bring national money into the Missoula community. <span></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">“This is an amazing opportunity for Habitat for Humanity of Missoula to maximize our outreach and funding in order to continue to build affordable homes in Missoula,” states Kelin Johnson, HFHM Board President. “We cannot be more thrilled to be a part of this National competition and we are hoping the entire community and state of Montana will come together and rally behind us to make this happen.”<span></span></span></p>
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<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;color:black"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For more information:<span></span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoNoSpacing" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt;color:black"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Noreen Humes, Habitat Executive Director or main office, 406-549-8210, </span><span class="gmail-MsoHyperlink" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:Noreen@habitatmsla.org" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline">Noreen@habitatmsla.org</a></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;font-size:11pt"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">& <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Brodie Hurtado, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist for more information about the State Farm competition itself. </span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34);background:white">480-293-6092, </span><a href="mailto:Brodie.Hurtado.exl5@StateFarm.com" style="color:blue;text-decoration:underline"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;background:white">Brodie.Hurtado.exl5@StateFarm.com</span></a><span></span></p>
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