The Saturday morning groundbreaking wasn't about discouraging or excluding men. It was about encouraging and empowering women.
That's how Ingrid Johnson, executive director of Longview's Habitat for Humanity, described the beginning of this year's Women Build project.
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Guadalupe Sandoval and Elizabeth Clement work together to construct a home for Guadalupe and her family.
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"Women tend to feel more confident working side-by-side with other females, their peers," Ingrid said. "At the Women Build, we try to promote a warm, supportive environment so that any woman can come out and volunteer their time constructing a new home for a family."
The project
The Women Build projects began in Longview in 1997, and the first home constructed was funded primarily by Junior League and Neiman Marcus. Through the years, the Women Build Steering Committee has come up with new, fresh ideas to raise the $45,000 needed to construct the homes.
"Every year the committee meets once a month to pitch ideas about fund-raising," said Elizabeth Clement, a committee member. "Certain civic clubs donate regularly, and we also do a letter campaign, hold a Habitat dinner ... and this year we even sold a vehicle."
Also, Lowe's, which is a partner with Habitat, offered a series of home repair workshops this summer for the volunteer team. All class fees went toward the project.
This year
This year is the Habitat's 8th Women Build home construction project in Longview. It's Elizabeth's third.
"Being a part of the project is a very rewarding experience," she said. "It makes me feel good to volunteer my time for someone who needs a home."
That someone is Guadalupe Sandoval, a single mother of three. After enrolling in a partnership with Habitat, she has worked to build other people's homes, logging "sweat equity hours." Now more than 300 hours later, she has started working on her own home, and Elizabeth said Guadalupe is the hardest worker on-site.
"It's a great thing to get to work alongside the homeowners themselves," Elizabeth said. "Guadalupe is so sweet and so appreciative of what we are all doing for her and with her. Working with this woman and knowing that I'm helping her give her family a better home is a wonderful feeling."
Join in
Anyone wanting to participate in this year's Women Build still can sign up. The project is estimated to last 13 to 16 weeks, which means the house won't be completed until early December.
Ingrid said there are jobs to suit any interests and levels of expertise, from construction to cleanup to providing snacks and meals for the crew.
"A lot of our volunteers just hear about the Women Build through word of mouth," she said. "Then, once they come the first time, they continue to come back year after year. It's an incredible experience for everyone involved."
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For more information on Habitat for Humanity or to find out how you can be a part of this year's Women Build, go to www.longviewhabitat.org or call 903-236-0900.
