Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week in Mandeville

Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week is an annual event held every year the week before Mother’s day where women across America join together to help build new homes in poverty stricken communities. The women’s comradery and the blessing of each other’s company made this week’s event a huge success. Since the program began, more than 2,300 homes have been built with

the help of National Women Build Week. This year, Habitat for Humanity was joined by the local St. Tammany Parish Lowe’s Home Improvement which donated close to $2 million to the week-long event.

You do not have to be a builder to volunteer. Both Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s encourage women to volunteer for a day to not only gain new construction skills but to make a difference in the lives of new homeowners living in St. Tammany Parish. These volunteers impact the lives of many families by providing them the chance at owning a newly built home. Volunteers are not only giving their time to a good cause, they themselves are learning the ins and outs of new home construction which gives them new confidence in being able to handle small construction projects on their own utilizing their building education. Lowe’s’ how-to clinics also assist in giving women the opportunity to learn the necessary skills for the volunteer jobs.

As a “life skills” learning experience, as well as an achievement and self-confidence booster for the new homeowners who get to live in the homes built by Habitat for Humanity, the construction of their new home offers a valuable life lesson as well. The project requires that they take pride in their new home by putting in their own time, energy, and effort into the building project. New homeowners are required to put in 300 – 400 hours of time in not only building their own home but also other Habitat for Humanity homes as well. During National Women Build Week, the focus is on the challenges and obstacles poverty-stricken women face when trying to reach the goal of home ownership.

More than 15,000 women volunteered during National Women Build Week May 2-10 across America. Of those 15,000 women, more than 25 volunteers, along with Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, and Lowe’s Home Improvement (which contributed financially with a $5,000 Lowe’s gift card to Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West) helped with the building of seven houses in the Mandeville affordable housing community just north of Florida Street in Old Mandeville. The seven new homes under construction will be dedicated to the home buyers in June and October of 2015.

Parish President Pat Brister, who was among those that volunteered, said, “Over 400 children have grown up and/or are currently living in Habitat St. Tammany West homes. That’s 400 children that now have a safe and stable home to grow up in.” This new home construction project brought life changing education as well as shelter for residents of Mandeville, Louisiana, in St. Tammany Parish.


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