Charleston, Illinois, May 6, 2017 – Coles County Habitat for Humanity volunteers and homeowners, students from Eastern Illinois University’s Habitat Chapter and employees from Woodforest National Bank Mattoon branch will work alongside construction crews for Habitat for Humanity’s 10th annual National Women Build Week, May 6-14. Habitat’s National Women Build Week invites women to help make a difference and devote at least one day to help build and preserve decent and affordable housing in their local communities.
More than 17,000 women, including Lowe’s Heroes volunteers, are expected to volunteer at construction sites across the country as part of Habitat’s 2017 National Women Build Week.
Ida Cockrum, President of Coles County Habitat for Humanity, said, “We are grateful to Lowe’s for continuing to support Women Build. This year we are excited to complete our first home repair project in the community by partnering with Eastern Illinois University’s Habitat Chapter.”
In Charleston, volunteers will work to build a deck and wheelchair ramp for local resident, Mary Jane Adams, at her home located at 317 Monroe. Mary Jane has been a part of the community since 1989. In 2007, she become an amputee. She is proud to be an active and independent person, yet she has great difficulty accessing her backyard and frequently falls on her steep steps. Mary Jane is thrilled to be partnering with Habitat to build a deck and wheelchair ramp. She stated, “I’m very grateful to Habitat, Lowe’s and all the volunteers that will be helping to make this happen. This is going to improve my quality of life by providing me access to my backyard and garden and being able use my grill again to barbeque.”
Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008 to empower women to advocate for affordable housing and spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by many. Each year, Lowe’s provides the support of their employee volunteers, Lowe’s Heroes, and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills so they can feel equipped to take part in the builds. More than 50 volunteers will be working on this project to help preserve decent, affordable housing in the Charleston area as part of National Women Build Week.
“Through our partnership with Habitat and support of National Women Build Week, Lowe’s empowers women to get involved in their communities, learn construction skills and make a meaningful impact,” said James Frison, Lowe’s director of community relations. “We’re grateful to all the women in Coles County who will volunteer this week to help build and repair decent and affordable housing.”
Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Coles County Habitat for Humanity. Since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat’s mission and helped more than 6,500 families improve their living conditions.
Habitat’s first Women Build event was held in 1998. Since then, all-women construction crews have helped build more than 2,500 homes in partnership with families.
For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and to learn about Women Build events in communities across the U.S. year-round, visit Habitat.org/wb.