Habitat, Lowe's team up for National Women Build Week
State Rep. Anna C. Moeller, 43rd District, and Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers were among more than 25 volunteers to join Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley today to help build affordable housing in the Elgin area in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 2-10.
Volunteers worked to help with primarily demolition projects on the interior of a home in the Elgin Historic Watch District for the kick-off event. The home will be converted into a duplex for two families that have yet to be matched to the project. A Women In Action group from Our Saviour's Lutheran Church of Naperville made up the primary base of volunteers for their second year participating in National Women Build Week. Additional women - and men - from the community joined in on the fun this year as well.
This is the second year in a row Habitat of Northern Fox Valley has participated in National Women Build Week after completing a Women Build home in 2012.
Rep. Moeller welcomed the group and thanked all the volunteers for dedicating their day to volunteering with Habitat: "National Women Build Week is part of nationwide efforts to empower women, creating success in their lives and the community at large. What you are doing today is helping to revitalize Elgin and build a future for two families."
Moeller has a history of emphasizing the importance of investing in women, including her most recent support for equal pay for women. She was a leading supporter in backing a resolution declaring April 14, 2015, Pay Equity Day in Illinois.
Moeller wasn't afraid to get down and dirty with the rest of the volunteers, focusing on removing nails that once held the original flooring in place with a team of about five other women.
National Women Build Week is a weeklong event created by Habitat for Humanity's Women Build program that challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their local communities. Across the nation, more than 15,000 women are expected to volunteer at Habitat construction sites this week to spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by women.
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.
"National Women Build Week has made a difference in the lives of thousands of families since its inception," said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe's director of community relations. "We're grateful to all the women in Elgin who got involved this week and were part of something bigger with Lowe's and Habitat."
Lowe's donated nearly $2 million to this year's National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley. National Women Build Week is one of the major initiatives supported through Lowe's national partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Since 2003, Lowe's has committed more than $63 million to Habitat and helped more than 4,000 families improve their living conditions.
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 2,300 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 events in communities across the U.S. year-round, visit Habitat.org/wb or the Women Build tab on www.facebook.com/habitat.
About Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is one of eight Habitat affiliates in the Chicagoland area. Founded in 1990, Northern Fox Valley currently focuses its efforts on transforming existing foreclosed and abandoned houses that are devaluing our neighborhoods into safe, decent, and affordable homes for partner families in the northwestern suburbs of Chicago. Northern Fox Valley also helps approximately 30 homeowners annually through the "A Brush With Kindness" exterior home repair program, and will be kicking off a Critical Home Repair program in 2015 as well. Now entering a milestone 25th anniversary year, Northern Fox Valley has completed 92 new construction and rehabilitation projects in Carpentersville, Elgin, St. Charles, and the surrounding area. To learn more, visit www.habitatnfv.org.
About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International's vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Anchored by the conviction that housing provides a path out of poverty, since 1976 Habitat has helped more than 5 million people through home construction, rehabilitation and repairs and by increasing access to improved shelter through products and services. Habitat also advocates to improve access to decent and affordable shelter and offers a variety of housing support services that enable families with limited means to make needed improvements on their homes as their time and resources allow. As a nonprofit Christian housing organization, Habitat works in more than 70 countries and welcomes people of all races, religions and nationalities to partner in its mission. To learn more, donate or volunteer, visit habitat.org.
About Lowe's in the Community
Lowe's, a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $225 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.