Sargento Celebrates 30 Years of Partnership With Big Surprise for Homeowners

Sargento Celebrates 30 Years of Partnership With Big Surprise for Homeowners

In 1992, Sargento Foods became the first corporate sponsor of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and has become the non-profit’s most prolific supporter of affordable housing in Milwaukee’s Washington Park and Midtown neighborhoods. Just before raising the walls to the 34th and 35th Sargento-sponsored homes in Milwaukee, Sargento CEO, Louie Gentine, announced a big surprise for Sargento-Habitat homeowners.

As a show of appreciation for their commitment to the Habitat for Humanity program, Sargento will make a special donation to Milwaukee Habitat that the organization will use to pay one year’s mortgage of the Sargento-Habitat homeowners who still have a mortgage or the 2022 tax bill for the Sargento-Habitat homeowners who have paid off their mortgages.

Watch two families’ reactions as we surprised them with the news!

“The choice these homeowners have made to be part of the Habitat for Humanity program is making a real difference by building a solid foundation for their families and our community,” said Louie Gentine, 3^rd Generation CEO of Sargento Foods. “This is our way of thanking them for putting in hours upon hours of sweat equity, learning about homeownership and for becoming a light for others to follow.”

In all, 28 Sargento-Habitat homeowners will either have their mortgages or tax bill paid this year at a time when inflation is impacting many families.  

“For the last 30 years, Sargento has demonstrated their steadfast commitment to helping local families realize the dream of homeownership,” says Brian Sonderman, Executive Director of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity. “Sargento employees have volunteered alongside many of these families as they built their homes, so to surprise them with this gift is really special.”

As Sargento makes this announcement, the Sargento Family of volunteers alongside volunteers from the Milwaukee Bucks are building the 34^th and 35^th homes from July 18-22. One home will be the ‘Tipoff for Homes’ house. As the Official Cheese of the Milwaukee Bucks, Sargento donates $500 to Milwaukee Habitat for every opening tip the Bucks win. Since Tipoff for Homes began in 2019, Sargento has donated an additional $120,000 to Milwaukee Habitat thanks to the Bucks offense.

Sargento CEO and Chairman of the Board, Louie and Lou Gentine, joined fellow Sargento employees by raising the first wall of the 30th anniversary build. Both were on the build site all the way back in 1992, working alongside families to help them achieve the dream of homeownership. Volunteering on a Milwaukee Habitat build site has become an annual tradition for Sargento employees, with many coming back year after year.