Habitat seeks women to help build homes in Elgin, Carpentersville
Habitat for Humanity is seeking women's help to fix up homes in Elgin and Carpentersville for prospective families.
The Northern Fox Valley chapter's eighth annual National Women Build Week projects kick off Saturday and will run through May 9.
Throughout the week, volunteers from churches and corporate teams will help with the projects, working in partnership with benefiting families.
"This is a great opportunity for women of all skill levels to come together to help families in need of better housing," said Barb Beckman, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.
On May 9, volunteers are invited to join a mother-daughter build to celebrate Mother's Day weekend working on a Carpentersville home at 39 Robin Road. The teardown is in the rebuilding stage, and volunteers will help primarily with siding and exterior work.
"Up to six mother-daughter pairs can come (out) for that," said Olivia Vlahos, volunteer and outreach manager for the Habitat chapter.
No construction skills are necessary. Though women are encouraged to participate in the mother-daughter build, anyone can sign up to volunteer during the week, she added.
Habitat volunteers also will be working on a historic Elgin home at 484 Division St., being readied for an immigrant couple from Uganda - John Bosco Tumwesigye, his pregnant wife, Emilly Musiimenta, and two children, ages 6 and 8, currently living in Rolling Meadows.
A group of Elgin Community College students helped remodel the home in March. Some interior and exterior work, such as putting trim on the windows and painting siding, remains to be completed, Vlahos said.
"The weather is going to be beautiful next week. We are hoping the house will be completed by Memorial Day, and they will move in sometime in June," she said.
Habitat officials haven't yet found a family to match with the Carpentersville home and are seeking qualified candidates.
"Our homeownership program is geared toward low-income families," Vlahos said. "The house is a little box ranch. It will probably be for a smaller family. That is on the top of our list for matching houses."
Interested applicants can contact Habitat's family services coordinator Connie Kitzinger at (847) 836-1432.
More than 300 Habitat affiliates nationwide are hosting National Women Build Week projects May 2-10 with support from Lowe's Home Improvement. More than 62,000 women nationwide have volunteered in previous years.
Lowe's has committed more than $63 million to Habitat projects and helped nearly 4,000 families. This year, the company donated nearly $2 million to National Women Build Week. The home improvement giant also provides support through its Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.
"We have invited volunteers from the Lake in the Hills and Arlington Heights Lowe's," Vlahos said. "We'll hopefully have some Lowe's volunteers working alongside the general public, as well."
To volunteer or donate to this project, call (847) 836-1432 or email olivia.vlahos@habitatnfv.org.