Rights Campaign. At the time, Whirlpool was the first and only major appliance manufacturer to be awarded a perfect score. To date, Whirlpool Corporation has achieved a perfect CEI score for 18 consecutive years, the longest of any major appliance company. Whirlpool was the first appliance maker to feature same-sex families in its advertising in the United States. Charity work Whirlpool Corporation is a principal supporter of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building low-cost, affordable housing. The company's commitment to Habitat for Humanity has exceeded $34 million and it has donated more than 73,000 appliances for Habitat homes. The company plans to support every Habitat home built globally by 2011, either through product donations, cash, or home sponsorship. In November 2006, Whirlpool started the annual Building Blocks program, designed to raise awareness and help eliminate substandard housing in the US. Each year the program recognizes an outstanding US Habitat for Humanity affiliate and its relationship with its local community by holding a week-long build in the affiliate's community. The program kicked off in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2006 when Whirlpool united 100 local residents with 100 Whirlpool employees and volunteers from 100 Habitat affiliates. These 300 volunteers built 10 homes on one block from Nov. 5–10, 2006. Whirlpool built nine homes near Phoenix, Arizona, in May 2007, and nine more homes in Dallas, Texas in October 2008. The 2009 build is set to begin August 31 in Atlanta, Georgia. Carbon footprint Whirlpool Corporation reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 663 Kt (-21 /-3.1% y-o-y) and is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2030. NASA partnership In 1962, the company's research laboratories won a contract from NASA to develop the food and waste management system for Project Gemini. The company later developed freeze-dried ice cream in 1968 under contract to NASA for the Apollo missions. Returning to work with NASA under the Johnson Space Center's Advanced Exploration Systems Logistics Reduction and Repurposing project in 2021, Whirlpool developed a zero-gravity refrigerator in partnership with Purdue University and Air Squared to investigate long term food storage for deep space exploration. Dryer fire scandal According to The Guardian newspaper the Whirlpool Corporation was mired in controversy in the UK for its decision not to recall faulty items that have caused deadly fires. Bernard Hender, 19, and Doug McTavish, 39, died following