(September 22, 2014) NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Moving into a new home is a life-changing experience, according to Nashville homeowner Keisha Crump, who moved into her Nissan-sponsored Habitat for Humanity home in April 2014.

"Maybe once in a lifetime miracles happen, or maybe never," said Crump. "I can truly say that a miracle has happened for me and my family. For that I say, "thank you," from the bottom of my heart."

Dozens of homeowners across the United States and Canada will share an experience similar to Crump's in the coming year, thanks to a $1 million donation from Nissan to Habitat for Humanity International. Last week Nissan announced the continuation of a longstanding partnership with Habitat to build affordable, sustainable homes in partnership with families in need of decent housing.

Including its current donation, Nissan's total support for Habitat for Humanity amounts to $11.6 million over the past nine years. Nissan's partnership with Habitat began in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Nissan donated 50 Nissan Titan trucks to assist Habitat's response efforts in the Gulf Coast and mobilized employees to assist in-home building. Since 2006, Nissan employees have helped to build 60 homes across the United States. Nissan's employees have logged more than 70,000 volunteer hours building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

"With Habitat, Nissan has a broader platform through which we can support the communities where our customers, dealers and employees live, carrying out our corporate vision to enrich people's lives," said Nissan senior vice president Scott Becker. "And as Habitat volunteers, our employees can engage directly in addressing local needs for affordable housing by making personal commitments of their time and effort on Habitat home builds."

The company will donate four Nissan NV commercial vehicles or Nissan Frontier trucks to Habitat affiliates that make commitments to sustainable construction practices. A portion of Nissan's donation will also be used to support Habitat for Humanity disaster recovery efforts and its Global Impact Fund.

Next month, five Nissan employees from the U.S. and Canada were selected to join more than 4,000 Carter Work Project volunteers who will help build or repair more than 100 homes in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, during the seven-day project. The 31st Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project will be conducted Oct. 5-11.

"We are grateful to Nissan for the continuous support through the years," said Jonathan Reckford, Habitat for Humanity International CEO. "Together, we have made a difference in the lives of so many families in need of affordable housing. We look forward to continuing our work together to help families build a better future."  

Nissan, recognized as a U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, is committed to sustainability. Nissan-sponsored Habitat homes are equipped with many "green-living" features, including low-flowing plumbing fixtures, programmable thermostats, energy-efficient fluorescent lighting, high-performance windows and ENERGY STAR appliances.