Kokomo’s Howard Haven Gets a Color Splash Makeover

(3BL Media) Kokomo, IN - May 7, 2012 – Approximately 50 employees from Chrysler Group LLC’s Indiana Transmission Plant I and II; Kokomo Casting Plant and Kokomo Transmission Plant joined with 20 Kokomo-area volunteers Saturday, May 5, to give Howard Haven in Kokomo, a fresh coat of paint and new landscaping. Howard Haven is home for up to 23 seniors and disabled residents, who for various life circumstances cannot live on their own, yet don't require nursing care.

“This is an incredible gift that we have been given. We have a very small budget and staff, and there’s no way that we would have ever been able to complete a renovation of this scale without the assistance of community residents, Chrysler Group volunteers, Lowe’s Commercial Sales Specialist, Isaiah Baker and Valspar Manager, Weston Meeks,” said Howard Haven Executive Director Jennifer Vary. “It will be very exciting to see our residents’ reactions, especially to the kitchen; no one can recall the last time it had been painted.”

Throughout the facility, volunteers, armed with paint brushes, rollers, tape and drop cloths fanned out to give the kitchen, dining room, living room and hallways a fresh honey cream finish. Outside, another team of volunteers freshened up exterior doors with several coats of an earthy brown paint. Yet another group of volunteers were dispatched to plant assorted flowering annuals, creeping phlox and install hanging baskets. The materials, including 73 gallons of paint were provided courtesy of Chrysler Group LLC.

“Giving back to the community is part of our DNA at Chrysler Group,” said Jody Trapasso, Senior Vice President – External Affairs and President of The Chrysler Foundation. “Over the years, Kokomo and the surrounding communities have provided our plants with tremendous support. So, it gives our employees a great sense of pride to have this opportunity to give back to the community.”

“It is our hope that our work here today will go a long way towards lifting the spirits of Howard Haven residents,” added Trapasso.

As a city with one of the largest concentrations of Chrysler Group employees in the U.S., the company chose Kokomo last year to expand its Community Action Day initiative for the first time outside of Michigan. More than 100 employees gave the Kokomo Rescue Mission’s four facilities a similar color splash makeover. In 2011, Chrysler Group Community Action Days touched the lives of more than 208,000 community residents in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio – states where the company maintains a manufacturing presence.

About Howard Haven
Howard Haven Residential Center is a nonprofit independent living facility for older and disabled citizens, due to financial and/or physical abilities that limit their independence. Since 1868, Howard County has supported a County Home, and continues this tradition of providing a quality of living for veterans, widows, and local citizens who call Howard Haven their home. For more information about Howard Haven, please contact Jennifer Vary at (765) 452-4552.

About Chrysler Group
Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 to establish a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.p.A., produces Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram, Mopar, SRT and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group’s culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat’s complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Additional information and news from Chrysler is available at http://www.media.chrysler.com.