Habitat hosts Women Build Week

Valdosta, GA May 2, 2009 – In the days leading up to Mother’s Day, 175 construction crews of women volunteers across the country will be pounding nails and raising walls at Habitat construction sites across the country in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 2 - 10. Today, in Valdosta, local women volunteers will be manning tools and building materials, working on a family’s new home.

Recording artist Tricia Yearwood is helping launch National Women Build Week by building with women volunteers in her adopted hometown of Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday May 5. She will then build with women volunteers in Atlanta, near her hometown of Monticello, Ga., on Friday, May 8.

“There are so many emotions that you have all at one time,” Yearwood said, describing her experience working with Habitat. “There’s the feeling of physically helping someone else and the sense of self-esteem that that brings. Meeting the homeowner who’s going to live in this home. And then there is this amazing feeling of getting to know these volunteers who dedicate themselves to this work every day. Just amazing!”

Developed through the partnership between Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing. The event is an initiative of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, underwritten by Lowe’s, which brings women from all walks of life together to learn construction skills and then use those skills to build simple, decent affordable houses.

“Many of our female volunteers who come out for the first time have never swung a hammer before in their lives but these women are ready to work—they came here wholeheartedly and are getting the job done”: explains Jena Hood, Volunteer Coordinator for Valdosta-Lowndes County Habitat, “Men aren’t excluded from the site, but we’re focusing on women this week. More than thirty women from all over South Georgia volunteered to help work on this house today. Several Habitat partner families were out here building alongside the volunteers as well.”

Lowe’s is providing Valdosta-Lowndes County Habitat for Humanity a $5,000 grant, as well as in-store volunteer training, in support of this one-day build. Nationwide, Lowe’s committed $875,000 million to National Women Build Week, providing grants and event support materials to 175 participating affiliates.

“In our sixth year of supporting Habitat’s Women Build program, Lowe’s has seen the impact women volunteers are making toward eliminating poverty housing in our communities,” said Larry D. Stone, Lowe’s president and COO and chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “National Women Build Week energizes community volunteers and Lowe’s employees to build alongside families in need. And there’s no better time than Mother’s Day to remind people that we can help parents provide warm, safe homes for their children by supporting Women Build and other Habitat projects.”