Bend Habitat seeks National Women Build Week volunteers

Women in Bend are invited to volunteer during Habitat for Humanity’s ninth annual National Women Build Week and help address the need for affordable housing in their community.

Bend Area Habitat for Humanity is one of more than 300 Habitat organizations nationwide hosting Women Build projects with support from Lowe’s, a longtime partner in the event.

The project will support “Home for the Holidays,” a nationwide initiative by Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity to work alongside 1,000 families to help them build or repair their homes by the holidays.

On Saturday, May 7, local volunteers will paint, landscape, do finish work and more on two Bend Habitat homes in partnership with low-income families. To register for the Women Build Day, visit http://www.bendhabitat.org/events/women-build We will also hold a Painting Clinic at Lowe’s on Thursday, April 28 at 6 p.m. for interested volunteers. For more details, contact Robin Cooper Engle, rcooper@bendhabitat.org, 541.385.5387.

National Women Build Week, held April 30-May 8, brings together women to devote at least one day to building decent and affordable housing in their local communities. More than 80,000 women from all 50 states have volunteered in previous years.

“We are excited to participate in National Women Build Week once again,” said Engle, Director of Development of Bend Area Habitat. “This is a great opportunity for women of all skill levels to come together to help a family build or repair a decent and affordable place they can call home. We will be working on homes for the Mitma and Graham/Mollman families.

“These are our 111 th and 112 th homes that wouldn’t be possible without this amazing community. It’s easy for women to come out and pick up a hammer and know they are making a big difference for our families even if they haven’t worked with us before.”

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008 and each year provides the support of Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.

This year, Lowe’s contributed $2 million to National Women Build Week. Since its partnership began in 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat and helped nearly 5,500 families improve their living conditions.

No construction skills are necessary to participate in this year’s project. To volunteer or donate, call 541.385.5387 or email rcooper@bendhabitat.org. For more information on National Women Build Week, visit Habitat.org/wb