Women Working Together To Build Affordable Housing

Nineteen ladies of various ages, skill levels, and backgrounds gathered together on Saturday, May 15th at River Bend Gardens for Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity’s 2010 Women Build Day. Women Build is Habitat for Humanity’s volunteer program for women who want to learn construction skills and make a difference by building homes and communities.

Cathy Hottinger, sunbathing Habitat for Humanity style.

Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity set a goal for our Women Build Day of setting all the porch roof trusses across the front of one of the mansion style townhouses. The ladies not only completed that goal, they also painted trim boards and doors! On top of that, they prepped all the exterior of all windows and doors for Habitat Partner Family and professional painter, Jeff Souza, so he could completely spray the outside of one of the townhouse buildings.

Three of the first families who will be moving into River Bend Gardens later this summer were among the volunteers. Cathy Hottinger assisted with painting the trim on her and her future neighbors’ porches. Charity Malcolm and her daughter Rebecca helped to set porch roof trusses on Building B, and Jennifer Simmons and her son P.J. also helped with trusses and taping for paint.

Tanya Wright, a Partner Family whose home will be built later this summer in the Buffalo Hills community, was joined by her daughters, her sister-in-law, and several other friends as they earned sweat equity working on the homes of others.

Christina Cross, an applicant for a Habitat home, earned some of her initial sweat equity while measuring and marking the placement of the porch roof trusses, and she even installed the faux rafter tails across the front of the second story balcony.

Other community volunteers joined these members of the growing Habitat family. Dot Terry traveled from neighboring Highland County, Virginia, and Josh Dubbs, (the only male volunteer) a serviceman from the Sugar Grove Navy Base, was on hand to lend his assistance. The weather was fantastic for what proved to be a truly productive and very successful 2010 Women Build Day.

Women Builds are regularly held by Habitat affiliates across the United States, and by Habitat organizations around the world. Women at these builds have furthered Habitat’s home-building mission by helping to construct more than 1,650 houses. Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity plans to host its second all Women Build house in 2011.

If you are interested in volunteering with Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity on our upcoming all Women Built house, or just to volunteer in general, please call our office in Franklin at 304-358-7642 or email us.