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Habitat, Local Volunteers, Lowe’s Team Up for National Women Build Week in Watauga Co.

 

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Lisa Shook and son Cody are shown at the site of their future home on Mother’s Day weekend at a Habitat for Humanity build event.

Volunteers from the High Country alongside Lowe’s Hero, Lisa Shook were among more than 10 volunteers to join Watauga County Habitat for Humanity on Saturday to help build local affordable housing in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 2-10.

Volunteers worked to lay the foundation blocks for the home for Mrs. Shook and her son located just south of Foscoe.

“It was a beautiful day to be out working with a great group for such a great cause,” said Watauga Habitat Construction Manager Jim Rogers. “And what could be more fitting than working alongside a mother and her son on mother’s day weekend, as we lay the foundation for what will be their home.”

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 the High Country 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 Watauga County Habitat for Humanity. 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 http://www.facebook.com/habitat.

About Watauga County Habitat for Humanity

  • Watauga County Habitat for Humanity builds homes in partnership with qualifying partner families and the community. We then sell the homes at no profit affordable mortgages to partnering families. And we equip our partner families with the knowledge and tools to be successful homeowners.
  • For twenty five years, Watauga County Habitat for Humanity has been helping hardworking families achieve their dream of homeownership. We have built more than 25 homes, help transform our community, and given our families hope.
  • The average cost to build a Habitat home in Watauga County is $100,000. The current payment on a Habitat mortgage – including taxes, insurance and homeowner association fees – is $450.
  • As rent continues to rise, Watauga Habitat offers families the stability of a home of their own with predictable payments to help them achieve not only the dream of homeownership, but the other dreams they have for themselves and their families. Homeownership improves educational outcomes and health. It offers the opportunity to be a part of a neighborhood and a community. And it gives them a chance to build their savings and a financially secure future. We are there for them every step of the way to make sure they’re ready to buy and have the support they need to keep it.
  • We have two approved families and this campaign will help raise the capital needed to begin construction in April for the first of those two homes.
  • Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) mission: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
  • HFHI vision: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

 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.

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Volunteers are shown at the site of a future home on Mother’s Day weekend at a Habitat for Humanity build event.
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Volunteers are shown at the site of a future home on Mother’s Day weekend at a Habitat for Humanity build event.
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Lisa Shook and son Cody are shown at the site of their future home on Mother’s Day weekend at a Habitat for Humanity build event.
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The future homesite of Lisa Shook and son Cody