Local Home Receives Energy-Efficient Modifications

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, Marathon Oil Corporation and the Florida Petroleum Council continue commitment to increase energy efficiency in homes nationwide, help enrich homeowners' lives

PALM HARBOR, Fla., April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A group of volunteers worked all day today to rebuild -- and make more energy-efficient -- the home of a local family struggling with the financial demands of a son's serious lingering health problems.

Santo and DeAnna Inglese of Palm Harbor have a 3-year-old son, Jordan, who has been diagnosed with leukemia. Jordan's medical costs have made it extremely difficult for the family to maintain their home or make necessary improvements. As part of the rebuilding effort, their home will receive new flooring, a new kitchen and a new bathroom for Jordan.

The volunteers are from Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, the local affiliate of the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership, employees of Marathon, the Florida Petroleum Council and the Tampa Children's Cancer Center.

The rebuilding project is part of the Energy Efficient Homes Initiative, a national partnership between Rebuilding Together and America's oil and natural gas industry, which incorporates energy efficiency into home renovations for low-income homeowners nationwide, many of whom are elderly, disabled or have young children.

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay is providing critical home repairs and modifications to 15 homes in the next two weeks, with the Inglese home being the first to receive support, including energy-saving renovations. The energy-efficient modifications, which include 12 new double-paned windows, siding and insulation, along with exterior and interior renovations will help reduce the family's cooling bills, and ultimately help preserve their homeownership, according to Jose Garcia, executive director of Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay.

"Our combined efforts have an ongoing, positive impact on homeowners in our neighborhood and across the country," said Garcia. "The Florida Petroleum Council and Marathon's support enables us to help improve the quality of life for many deserving homeowners who can now live more comfortably, safely and use less energy."

"Our industry practices energy efficiency every day in its operations, so we know the significant value of such a commitment," said Eric Hamilton, associate director at the Florida Petroleum Council. "We are delighted to partner with Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay in this outstanding initiative. Our efforts will help provide these low-income homeowners the dual benefit of saving energy and money."

"Marathon is very proud to partner with the Rebuilding Together organization and the Florida Petroleum Council on this worthwhile project. It is a great opportunity to help in the Tampa area, where so many of our employees work and live. We hope these efforts will reunite the Inglese family by bringing their son home," said Tracy Case, manager of Marathon's Terminal Transport and Marine operations.

"It's unbelievable the amount of support we've received," said DeAnna Inglese. "The work done to our home by the volunteers is going to relieve so much stress off of us. It's so wonderful and humbling."

Since 2005, the Initiative has expanded its reach, doubling the number of rebuilds conducted nationwide and affording homeowners the ability to save as much as 30 percent on monthly energy bills, thanks to a variety of energy-efficient techniques incorporated into their homes. The Initiative is an additional component of Rebuilding Together which is celebrating 20 years, having revitalized more than 100,000 homes and non-profit facilities with the help of millions of volunteers in communities across America.

In addition to making homes more energy-efficient, the Initiative also provides homeowners, volunteers and others with materials and information with recommendations on how to preserve energy now and in the future.

Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing free home repair and modification services to those in need. With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America's largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners. In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding Together rehabilitates community centers and conducts home modification and repair programs that focus on aging in place, energy efficiency, veteran's housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together is currently celebrating 20 years as a national organization and the completion of over 100,000 homes thanks to the efforts of more than 200 affiliates nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/.

API, the American Petroleum Institute, is the primary trade association for the oil and natural gas industry in the United States. Representing one of the most technologically advanced industries in the world, API's membership includes nearly 400 companies engaged in all aspects of the oil and natural gas industry, including the exploration, production, refining, transportation and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and related consumer products. For more information on API, visit: http://www.api.org/.

Marathon is the fourth-largest U.S.-based fully integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; integrated gas; oil sands mining; and refining, marketing and transportation operations. The Company has exploration and production activities in the United States, the United Kingdom, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya and Norway. Marathon is the fifth largest refiner in the U.S. with 1,016,000 bpd of crude processing capacity in its seven-refinery system. The Company's retail marketing system comprises approximately 6,000 locations in 18 states; nearly three-quarters are Marathon brand locations. Marathon serves the Midwest and Southeast as a petroleum products marketer with 87 light product and asphalt terminals and the Company owns, operates, leases or has an ownership interest in approximately 9,700 miles of pipeline. For more information on Marathon, visit: http://www.marathon.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Rebuilding Together

CONTACT: Andre Carter of Rebuilding Together, +1-202-312-1084, or
+1-850-980-2368

Web Site: http://www.api.org/
http://www.marathon.com/
http://www.rebuildingtogether.org/

2008-04-19 10:04:13 0339962 PRNEWSWIRE