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Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana
COLUMBUS, INDIANA (The Republic) - Girl power will be in full force the week of May 5-12 when women from DeKalb, Noble and Steuben counties join with Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana for National Women's Build Week.
Teams of women will work to build a home on Stony Drive in Auburn for a single mother with four children. The build will be completed solely by women, said Habitat development director McKinsey Redmond.
"Seventy percent of Habitat homes built go to women who are heads of households," Redmond said. "Along with that, 70 percent of those in poverty are women and children. Women's Build Week is so women can take an active role in being a positive change in their own communities."
Women's Build Week began in Charlotte, N.C., in 1991 before becoming a national event five years ago, Redmond said. This is the first year local women will build a complete four-bedroom home from foundation to landscaping. Last year's event saw area women build a shed.
"Women's builds take away the intimidation factor," she said. "When women volunteer, they find out they know just as much as men."
Redmond said three teams of women from Steuben and DeKalb counties have signed up to participate, and three additional teams formed by churches are in the process of recruiting team members.
The women will build the structure of the nearly 1,200-square-foot home the first two days, with the windows, roofing and siding taking the remaining three days of the week. Professional contractors then will come in to finish the plumbing, electrical work and put up the drywall.
Afterward, both male and female volunteers will complete the house's interior painting and exterior landscaping in early June.
Redmond said at least 15 to 20 women are needed each day, and teams can be of any size. Each worker will receive a Women's Build T-shirt along with food.
"We'd love to have teams from every county come out and spend a day at the build site," Redmond said.
To register as a team or as an individual, participants may visit northeastindianahabitat.myetap.org/womenbuild2012. Teams are encouraged to fundraise — in the same vein as Relay for Life or similar events — with donations going to help cover the cost of the $70,000 home.
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Updated 412 days ago Article ID# 1531795
Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Indiana
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