Habitat for Humanity plans Mother’s Day Women Build

Rutherford County women will trade their heels for hammers and their purses for tool belts as Habitat for Humanity launches its Women Build 2015 event.  The seventh annual build will be held Saturday, May 9, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  A t-shirt and lunch will be provided for participants. 

Working under the supervision of experienced crew leaders, a team of 70 local women volunteers and 10 male volunteer crew leaders armed themselves with tools and building materials and worked on Habitat houses that were already under construction in 2014.  Habitat’s Director, Kim Freeman said she hopes to increase that number for this year’s event, and announced a new activity at Women Build. 

“We are asking any women that want to participate in a race in their high heels.  We’re calling it ‘Hammers and Heels.’ The race won’t be very long, not even a quarter of a mile. Women have to wear at least 3-inch heels and the winner gets an awesome prize. We just thought it would be a neat thing for the volunteers to do,” Freeman said. 

Habitat for Humanity, International has designated the week of May 2-10 as National Women Build Week. The national program, underwritten by Lowe’s, brings women from all walks of life together to learn construction skills and then use those skills to be part of the solution to poverty housing. National Women Build Week challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their local communities. Working with other women on a build site encourages women to step up and take roles that they might not traditionally attempt.

A Women Build house is built using work crews comprised entirely of women. While there may be male construction supervisors overseeing the construction activities and providing instruction, the key goal of the program is to ensure that the women are doing the actual, hands-on building of the house. Women Build is not about excluding men - it is about including women - empowering them to build Habitat houses, and enabling them to positively impact the lives of families by making the dream of homeownership a reality. Since the program’s inception in 1998, Women Build volunteers have constructed more than 1,000 homes throughout the world.

Rutherford County Habitat is still seeking women from the community to volunteer for the Mother’s Day Women Build.  Sponsorships and donations are also being accepted.  Businesses and individuals can sponsor the Mother’s Day Event at the Diamond Hammer ($100), Ruby Hammer ($50) or Pearl Hammer ($25) levels.  Donors may designate their contribution in honor or in memory of their mother or a special woman in their life.  If donating in honor of someone, a Mother’s Day card acknowledging the gift will be sent to the honoree. Names of donors and those honored or memorialized will be placed on a Mother’s Day Women Build banner which will be displayed on the work site and later moved to the Habitat ReStore. 

If you would like to donate, sponsor or become a Women Build volunteer, please contact Sheila Cain at 245-0716 or Kim Freeman at 248-3178.