Habitat's 'Women Build Week' Continues Through May 12

Women volunteers will raise their hammers at Habitat for Humanity construction sites across the country — — in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 5-13. The event is a nationwide initiative of Habitat’s Women Build program developed in partnership with Lowe’s.

Now in its fifth year, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote at least one day to creating simple, decent and affordable housing in their local communities. Nearly 31,000 women volunteers from all 50 states have participated in the previous four events.

Habitat for Humanity of East King County will host their Women Build May 9-12 at their La Fortuna, Renton construction site. Each day of the event will feature lunchtime speakers including Habitat homeowners and community leaders who will share their inspirational and motivational stories focused on women empowerment. Women Build EKC event sponsors include Travelers Insurance, Motor Oil Supply, PCL Construction, and Betsy Weyer-Windermere Realtor.

Here is the daily schedule: 

• Wednesday, May 9, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, May 10, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• Friday, May 11, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• Saturday, May 12, from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Special Events: 

• Kickoff Event—May 9 at 9 a.m. 
• Classes/Workshops—TBD 
• Closing Ceremony—May 12 at 3 p.m. 

To date, women volunteers have helped construct more than 1,900 Habitat houses nationwide. This is the fifth Women Build event for Habitatfor Humanity EKC. 

National Women Build Week is held the week leading up to Mother’s Day because of its significance to Habitat homeowners and volunteers. Families with children make up a staggering number of those in need of adequate housing. More than 12 million children, the equivalent of one in six, live in poverty housing in the United States alone.

Lowe’s contributed more than $1.3 million to National Women Build Week, providing $5,000 Lowe’s gift cards to 275 Habitat affiliates. National Women Build Week is one of the major initiatives supported through Lowe’s five-year, $20 million pledge to Habitat. As the underwriter of the Women Build program since 2004, Lowe’s conducts “how-to” clinics at stores to teach women construction skills, enabling them to support Habitat projects across the country.  

Sponsors for the Habitat EKC Women Build include Travelers Insurance, Motor Oil Supply, PCL Construction, and Betsy Weyer-Windermere Realtor.

About Habitat for Humanity of East King County

Habitat EKC is part of this global effort.  Since 1988, Habitat EKC has built, rehabbed or repaired 113 houses. The East King County service area incorporates the regions east of Lake Washington.  The goal of this affiliate is to make it possible for low-income Eastside residents to be able to purchase simple, decent, and affordable homes. The families who purchase these homes put in 500 hours of their own labor as a down payment towards homeownership.

For more information, to donate or to volunteer, please visit www.habitat.org, or follow us at http://www.facebook.com/habitat or at http://www.twitter.com/habitat.org or join Habitat’s blog community at www.habitat.org/blog.

About Lowe’s

Lowe’s supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company’s signature education grant program, Lowe’s Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. In 2011, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $32 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

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