FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 2, 2015) – People never know when the goodwill they unselfishly show toward others will have a more profound impact than they expected.

Jay Scanlon, vice president of Scanlon Auto Group in Fort Myers, recently experienced such a reward during his company’s Habitat Build in Fort Myers.

Companies like Scanlon Auto may sponsor to build a Habitat home for $50,000 as well as donate its time to help raise the walls on the structure. In February, more than 35 employees of Scanlon Auto showed up on a Saturday morning to help build a home in East Fort Myers.

They knew they were helping to provide a life-changing experience for a single mother, working two jobs to provide for her three children. What they didn’t realize until after their work was completed was that the single mother they were building the home for was linked to Scanlon’s own family.

“It turns out that for the past year and a half, Toria Solomon has been helping care for my aunt living at Shell Point Retirement Community,” said Scanlon. “It’s always just been our natural corporate culture to give back to our community, but to have it touch someone who has been so good to my family in a time of need is incredibly humbling.”

“When I found out Jay Scanlon was the sponsor of my home, I was in disbelief. I felt like I had known him and his family for years because of the stories his aunt had shared with me. I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to become a Habitat homeowner and for the generosity of Jay Scanlon and the Scanlon Auto Group,” said Solomon, Habitat for Humanity homeowner candidate.

Habitat homes are built through the use of volunteer labor and donations of money and materials. The homes are then sold to low-income families with an interest-free mortgage and monthly payments set at less than 30 percent of the homeowner’s income, making homeownership an affordable reality. Habitat homeowners must qualify financially for the program, save $1,700 toward their closing costs, attend classes focusing on successful homeownership, budgeting and home maintenance, and complete 300 hours of “sweat equity” by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity.

“Southwest Florida has been very good to us, and we want this community to thrive so that others can pursue their dreams here as well,” Scanlon said. “We are honored to be a part of the great work Habitat does every day to make these dreams a reality.”

Scanlon Auto Group supports a number of charitable events and organizations through monetary support and materials including vehicles for golf tournaments, parades and races. Annually, Scanlon Auto donates more than $100,000 locally. As a Lexus dealer, it provides support through various corporate programs including The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, Dealer Matching Funds, the Lexus Eco Challenge, Champions for Charity golf events and more. In addition to being major sponsors of the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Scanlon Auto is also a major contributor to The United Way of Lee County, Arts for ACT, Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County, the Harry Chapin Food Bank and many other organizations that support people and the arts in our area.

The Scanlon family has been operating car dealerships in Southwest Florida since 1980. Today, Scanlon Auto Group includes Scanlon Lexus and Scanlon Acura, both located south on U.S. 41 in Fort Myers.

For more information on volunteering for Habitat, call 239-652-1684 or visit www.habitat4humanity.org. For more information about Scanlon Auto, call 239-433-2277 or visit www.scanlonauto.com.