Women Build Mission Statement
The mission of the Women Build™ department of Habitat for Humanity® International is to work through affiliates to nurture, recruit and train women to build and maintain simple, decent, healthy and affordable houses.
Women Build in Dayton
Women Build began as a local program in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1991 and spread through other Habitat chapters (called affiliates) until it was adopted by Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI). It is now happening across this country, as well as in many others.
After working on an all woman build during a winter break in Ft. Myers, Florida, Ann (Mrs. Charles) Simms wanted to bring Women Build back to Dayton. This first build received wide community support, with over 300 women volunteers enlisting and Shery Oakes, owner of Design Home and Development Co., Inc., providing materials and the construction of the house’s foundation, crawl space and deck, establishing a solid foundation for the program here.
Women Build specifically seeks women volunteers in an effort to enable and empower local women, encouraging them to make a difference by building homes and communities. As stated in a 2004 HFHI newsletter, “Women Build is not about excluding men; it is about including women.” Over the years, the women volunteering have ranged from seasoned workers to local high school students learning how they can help make a difference.
Women receive a myriad of benefits from participating. Those who have volunteered in the past commented that they:
- gained experience
- increased their skill level
- became better equipped to do maintenance on their homes
- experienced an environment in which they felt comfortable learning construction skills they might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn
- learned language to talk with/understand professional contractors doing work on their own homes in the future.
- "One of the reasons most of us volunteered is that we wanted to gain a little experience and learn about building. I need a new roof on my house myself, and I’m not going to try to do it myself, but at least now I know how it’s supposed to be done. Nobody’s going to be able to rip me off.” -Vicki Moore
To earn a Habitat home, partner families are required to put in 300-500 sweat equity hours. They are encouraged to save at least 20% of the hours for their own house, so families work alongside volunteers in building their home.
Dayton Ohio Habitat for Humanity celebrates its 10th Women Build this year!
Women Build 2009 Updates
What to bring and wear
Your time commitment and willingness to work is very important to the construction of the Women Build house this year. Below is a list of recommended items to bring to the worksite on your scheduled workday:
- Wear old clothes (shorts are fine, no short-shorts please).
- Wear work boots or sturdy leather shoes (no sandals).
- Please do not wear jewelry or dangling earrings.
- Bring your own hammer if possible. If you do not have a hammer, one will be provided.
- Work gloves are recommended.
- Bring lunch with you if you are working an all day session. Lunch is provided only during Blitz Week.
- It is a good idea to wear sunscreen and a hat.
Contact
For more information, please email Holly Fetters or call her at 937.586.0860 ext. 10.
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