WESTPORT, Conn. — The International Exposition Co., producer of the 2014 AHR Expo in New York City, donated $12,525 to the Youth Action YouthBuild (YAYB) organization based in New York City’s East Harlem community. The donation is funded by entry fees from the 2014 AHR Expo Innovation Awards competition. AHR Expo donates the Awards entry fees every year to not-for-profit organizations in cities where the Expo is being held. Since the Awards' inception, more than $125,000 has been donated to organizations throughout the United States. Many such organizations have used the donations to enhance their HVAC systems or help train industry technicians.

For more than 35 years, YAYB has been dedicated to providing education, training, and leadership opportunities to thousands of low-income young adults while engaging them in the creation of affordable housing. The donation from AHR Expo will be used to help upgrade the HVAC systems of the homes YAYB is
building or renovating. Founded on the principle that youth could be a powerful force for good in the neighborhood, the program has been so successful in helping transform the community and break the cycle of poverty that there are now 273 YouthBuild programs in 45 states, Washington, and 16 more countries. Since 1994, over 100,000 YouthBuild students have built 20,000 units of affordable, increasingly green housing.

“We are delighted that such a worthwhile organization will be able to use this money to improve the lives of deserving individuals, and for its commitment to green construction and smart energy reduction in affordable models,” said Clay Stevens, president of International Exposition Co.