Women Build 2009 week 1 update

Thank you for your support of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s (TCHFH) Women Build project! My name is Andrea Cole, and I’m a member of this year’s Women Build Committee. I’m excited to have the job of keeping you up-to-date on the build by sharing photographs and observations from my weekly site visits. No matter what your role is in helping to build this year’s summer Women Build house, you’re an important part of the team that’s bringing safe, affordable housing to a great Twin Cities family.

You couldn’t have picked a better day for a wall raising, and the excitement built under a cloudless sky as people gathered on the morning of Monday, June 15 to celebrate the beginning of Women Build 2009.

“It’s a whole new beginning for a family, for this neighborhood, and for our community,” TCHFH President Sue Haigh said to start off the morning’s event. Many public officials and community representatives, including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher, were on hand to support TCHFH and homebuyer Basra Hersi. Next door neighbor Tricia Hall couldn’t have been more excited to meet Basra and to welcome her family to the neighborhood.

“To see what was a problem house turn into a great opportunity for a new family is just really exciting,” Tricia said during her remarks to the crowd of supporters. Building on this site wouldn’t have been possible without Tricia, who called the TCHFH office to see if they could partner with the neighborhood in doing something good with the property.

After more words of support and encouragement from Bonnie Kalen, the 2009 Women Build Chair and Retail Regional Sales Manager, Mortgage for Wells Fargo a local WomenBuild sponsor, and a rousing pep talk from Cathy Scoville, who represented Women Build national sponsor Lowe’s, participants lined up to raise the first wall. It was a great sight to see everyone cheering and working together to begin the process of creating a new home for Basra and her family. A team of volunteers from Wells Fargo stayed for the day to continue the work.

A mere five days later, at the end of the first week, I stopped by to see a completely different site! Where a wide open platform once existed, all of the first floor walls had been raised, and the exterior was sheathed with plywood and covered in house wrap. On that day the volunteers were finishing off the second floor deck and preparing the second floor exterior walls – hoisting each section up from the ground, setting them in place, squaring them up, and connecting each section. Site Supervisor Betsy Reller was impressed with the week’s progress. “Lotsa hard workers,” she praised. “It was a hot one.”

Special thanks go out to the first week’s Team Leaders (Wells Fargo, Andersen Corporation, and Best Buy) and Lunch Providers (Rachel Knutson, Rhonda Speers White, Jeff Smith, Nicole Jasper, and Felicia Horan).

Keep an eye out for more updates and photos from Women Build 2009 or visit our website. This message will be sent to everyone on our Women Build mailing list and every person that has signed up through VolunteerHub.

Andrea Cole
2009 Women Build Committee Member
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

We have videos of the day posted on YouTube -

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Women Build 2009 - Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Women Build 2009 - Elizabeth Glidden
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Women Build 2009 - Bonnie Kalen of Wells Fargo
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Women Build 2009 Kick-Off - Lowe's