ITC Holdings Corp. recently selected AZ-One as a recipient of the company’s charitable giving program with a grant of $5,000. The grant will be used to help sponsor this year’s Rocking the Block collaboration between AZ-One, the United Way, Habitat For Humanity and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. The event is slated to take place in mid-August. The ITC grant will be used to purchase building materials, which will be coupled with volunteer labor from churches, businesses and other community groups.

“ITC is pleased to support this great effort,” said Lori Broghammer, the ITC local government and community affairs area manager. “Affordable housing is a challenging issue for communities throughout our service area, and we are glad to support the innovative approach adopted by AZ-One to address the issue.”

ITC Holdings Corp. is the parent company of ITC Midwest LLC, the company that owns and operates high-voltage electric transmission lines throughout the area.

Last year’s Rocking the Block initiative successfully mobilized hundreds of volunteers and collected community donations to renovate five homes in the Albert Lea area. The homes were selected through a comprehensive process, taking into consideration the homeowner’s financial standing, health and safety issues and ability of the homeowners to partner in the project with their own time and resources.

This year’s recipients of the Rocking the Block initiative will be selected through an application process with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority during the month of February. Anyone interested in applying may contact the office at 377-4375. The inspections and selection process will begin in March, with projects finalized by May 1, leaving about three months to plan the projects and recruit volunteers.

People interested in volunteering for the event may contact the United Way of Freeborn County at 373-8670.