Local Women Building Houses As Part of Nationwide Mother's Day Habitat Initiative

Local Women Answer Challenge from Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s and Help to Eliminate Poverty Housing during National Women Build Week, May 1 – 9

Twin Cities, MN, May 1 – In the days leading up to Mother’s Day, more than 200 construction crews of women volunteers across the country are pounding nails and raising walls at Habitat for Humanity construction sites in all 50 states in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 1 – 9. This week, in Brooklyn Park, local women volunteers are taking up tools and building materials to work on one family’s new home.

Developed through the partnership between Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing. The event is an initiative of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, underwritten by Lowe’s, which recruits, educates and nurtures women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities.

Lowe’s, Valspar and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity will partner with a Brooklyn Park homeowner and family to repair, repaint and renovate a home May 6 – 8 as part of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s A Brush With Kindness program in celebration of National Women Build Week.

But work doesn’t stop there; it just begins. Women crews and 500+ volunteers will begin building a home in North Minneapolis on June 7th and continue through the summer months until completion this fall. To-date, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and women volunteers have built 13 homes alongside dedicated family partners and Habitat homeowners in the Twin Cities.

“It’s so exciting for us to focus on women this week,” explains Susan Haigh, President and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat. “Our women volunteers are very passionate about this effort, and they’ve volunteered a lot of hours already, learning the skills necessary to help eliminate poverty housing in the Twin Cities.”

Lowe’s is providing Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity a $5,000 Lowe’s store gift card, as well as in-store volunteer training, in support of this one-day build. Nationwide, Lowe’s committed more than $1 million to National Women Build Week, providing grants and event support materials to 200 participating affiliates. This is a major initiative of Lowe’s five-year, $20 million pledge to Habitat, a commitment including underwriting of the Women Build program, as well as providing construction know-how at in-store clinics and build sites, and funding for a variety of Habitat projects across the country.

“Lowe’s has been the proud sponsor of Habitat’s Women Build program since 2004. This innovative program encourages women from all walks of life to pick up their hammers and build homes alongside Habitat partner families,” said Larry D. Stone, Lowe’s president and COO and chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “2010 marks the third anniversary of National Women Build Week. Lowe’s salutes the more than 11,000 engaged women who have volunteered on Habitat jobsites across the U.S. during National Women Build Week to help bring an end to poverty housing.”

About Twin Cities Habitat
The mission of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities and to make decent, affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience. An award-winning nonprofit housing developer, Twin Cities Habitat is committed to building the quality of life, health and economic prosperity of the region by producing, preserving and advocating for affordable homeownership – because homes and families are the foundation of successful communities.

For more information, visit www.tchabitat.org.

About Lowe’s
Lowe’s is a proud supporter of Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, SkillsUSA/Skills Canada, and The Nature Conservancy, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities in North America. In 2009, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support community and education projects in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Lowe’s also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe’s Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe’s is a FORTUNE® 50 company with fiscal year 2009 sales of $47.2 billion and has more than 1,700 stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

About Habitat for Humanity International
Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 350,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.75 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.