Knicks Help Out for "Home Team" Workday

On July 11, the Fannie Mae Foundation and the New York Knicks began work on a project that will eventually give four families the chance to become first time homebuyers at "Home Team" workday in Harlem.

One of several homes the Knicks are working with the Fannie Mae Foundation to refurbish.

"Home Team" spokesperson Charlie Ward, Knicks draft picks Lavor Postell and Pete Mickeal along with Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy, executive vice president and general manager Scott Layden, executive vice president, franchise operations Steve Mills and other members of the front office staff, and Fannie Mae Foundation volunteers joined to do demolition work and remove debris from a brownstone undergoing renovation in Central Harlem.

"This is truly a blessing to be able to give back to the community and help families dreams of becoming homeowners come true," said Ward.

New York's Home Team program, in its fourth season, is a partnership between the Fannie Mae Foundation and the New York Knicks. Since the beginning of the Home Team partnership in 1996, New York's Home Team has funded the construction of 20 homes in Central Harlem with $775,000 in Fannie Mae Foundation grants and $43,000 from Knicks' fundraisers.

Charlie Ward starts to break down the walls to make room for a new family to move in.

The Home Team workday was managed by the New York City Housing Partnership, which is currently overseeing the development of several homes in Central Harlem with a $200,000 grant from the Fannie Mae Foundation and $15,000 from the Knicks.

"The Fannie Mae Foundation is committed to creating affordable housing opportunities across America, and innovative partnerships with organizations like the Knicks and the New York City Housing Partnership will help us achieve our goal," said Stacey Davis, President and CEO of Fannie Mae Foundation. "As a result of the work done today, the Frederick Douglas block of Central Harlem is one step closer to being completely revitalized."

Lavor Postell, Steve Mills, Scott Layden, Charlie Ward, Jeff Van Gundy, and Pete Mickeal members of the Knicks Fannie Mae Foundation Home Team take a moment to pose for the cameras before getting back to work.

The Home Team program is a partnership between Fannie Mae Foundation and 12 National Basketball Association teams with the goal of revitalizing local neighborhoods and providing free home-buying information to help more Americans achieve their dream of homeownership. Partner NBA teams include the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Seattle SuperSonics and Washington Wizards.

The Fannie Mae Foundation creates affordable homeownership and housing opportunities through innovative partnerships that build healthy, vibrant communities across the United States. The Foundation is especially committed to improving the quality of life for the people of its hometown, Washington D.C., and to enhancing the livability of the city's neighborhoods. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization whose sole source of support is Fannie Mae and has regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Pasadena and Philadelphia.