SCHFH and Lowe's team up for Women Build Week May 3-11

Theresa Dorrell, Sussex County Habitat for Humanity's partner family member and recipient of this year’s Women Build house, volunteered May 1 alongside more than 10 women volunteers on a Habitat construction site in recognition of National Women Build Week May 3-11.

Now in its seventh year, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their local communities. The week also spotlights the homeownership challenges faced by women.

George Doxzen, representative from the Lowe’s in Millsboro, said, “The partnership is a wonderful idea, and what impresses me the most is that these women have come to volunteer with Habitat for free! They are eager and enthusiastic to volunteer and help better the life of another woman and her family.”

Dorrell said, “I am so excited to bring my daughters by and show them the progress from today’s work! I can’t wait to have my home!”

The volunteers worked blueboarding the interior of the foundation and installing floor joists in Georgetown Point on 105 Tranquility Lane. Dorrell was accepted into the program in late December 2013. The mother of two daughters, Skylar and Summer, Dorrell works at a local wholesale store and is looking forward to having a bigger and safer place to live with her daughters.

SCHFH thanked Lowe’s and the partnership with Habitat for Humanity, and the AmeriCorps workers who helped lead the build day, and David and Christa Brack, who donated lunch for the Women Build Day.

Actress and author Holly Robinson Peete will help build a new home in Los Angeles County. Peete, a mother of four, is the national spokesperson for National Women Build Week 2014 and a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity.

“I am delighted to once again support National Women Build Week and look forward to building alongside the amazing women who take part in this special event,” said Peete.

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008, and each year provides the support of Lowe’s Heroes and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills. Lowe’s donated $1.75 million to this year’s National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Sussex County, as part of a new five-year partnership with Habitat that will bring Lowe’s total contributions to more than $63 million since 2003. In celebration of this renewed partnership, Lowe’s and Habitat launched Hammers for Habitat, a volunteer initiative inviting men and women across America to give one day to help make the dream of homeownership a reality for a family in their community. To learn more, visit Habitat.org/Lowes.

Habitat’s Women Build program recruits, educates and inspires women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable homes in their communities. Since the program was created in 1998, more than 2,200 homes have been built in partnership with low-income families using Women Build crews.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, and to learn about Women Build projects in communities across the U.S., go to Habitat.org/wb or the National Women Build Week tab on http://www.facebook.com/habitat.