Alcoa Building Products volunteers work side-by-side with dignitaries on habitat "blitz build".

SIDNEY, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 1997--A team of volunteers from Alcoa Building Products joined First Lady Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, and hundreds of other volunteers on Habitat for Humanity International's 1997 Jimmy Carter Work Project, June 15-21.

The team included ABP President Larry Gold, his wife Gary, and four other Alcoa representatives, who joined workers from around the nation in building 52 new homes for residents of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee.

ABP donated enough vinyl siding for at least 12 of the homes, according to Gold who said, "working side-by-side with President Carter and volunteers from all over the country to help build a future together has been an incredibly rewarding experience."

Gold and his wife were among volunteers from around the country who worked with former President Carter on a home in Pikeville, Ky. Gold and the other Alcoa volunteers also worked on a home in Virgie, Ky., sponsored by Partnership for Humanity, a joint project of the Vinyl Siding Institute (VSI), the Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC) and the Vinyl Institute (VI).

One of the most significant experiences of the week was meeting the owner of the Partnership for Humanity house, 28-year-old Janelle White. Thanks to the project, the licensed practical nurse will be able to live in her first home with her 4-year-old daughter.

Another highlight was the rooftop wedding of a couple who met last summer while working on the 1996 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Hungary.

Through the Partnership for Humanity, the participating organizations jointly contribute siding and other accessories, as well as expertise in training volunteers how to install the siding. "You can easily train volunteers to put on the vinyl siding," said Millard Fuller, founder and president of HFHI. "And once you put siding on a house, it's there. You can come back 10 years later, and it looks like it was just put on last week."

Vinyl does not rust, rot or corrode, and therefore does not need to be painted or replaced frequently. It saves on maintenance costs in many parts of the home, including siding, doors and windows.

The Jimmy Carter Work Project is an annual "blitz build" that draws several thousand volunteers who work together to construct housing for disadvantaged residents. Each year since 1984, the volunteers have been led by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn.

"Our participation in this worthwhile effort was something we will never forget," said Gold. "This year's project will make a dramatic difference in the lives of many families, and will focus national attention on the continuing need for affordable housing. We look forward to working with HFHI in the future," added Gold.

Habitat for Humanity International is a non-profit organization founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller to help eliminate poverty-level housing and build decent shelter for people around the world. Working with partners and volunteers in the corporate and non-profit communities, HFHI has built more than 55,000 houses around the world for more than 300,000 people.

Headquartered in Sidney, Alcoa Building Products is a leading manufacturer of quality aluminum and vinyl building products in the United States. Manufacturing and marketing building products for over 35 years, ABP offers a broad selection of vinyl, aluminum, steel and injection-molded exterior design products, including vinyl siding and soffit, aluminum siding and soffit, steel siding and accessories, aluminum roofing, and a range of other exterior design accessories. For more information, contact Alcoa Building Products at 800/962-3563. Or get detailed information about any Alcoa product on the internet, at http://database.sweets.com:8080/sweets/p1/Company/14.htm or for more information on vinyl siding contact the Vinyl Siding Institute on the internet at Vinylsiding.org . -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the World Wide Web address noted in this news release, there is a double slash between http: and database.sweets.com:8080/sweets/p1/Company/14.htm . These symbols may not appear properly in some systems.

CONTACT: Creative Connection

Terri L. Gottlieb, 954/968-0115