Women Build part of Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project

For a brief moment, as I approached the Women Build house on Emerson Avenue, it felt like summer again. The sun was bright and warm, and volunteers were happily working away in t-shirts. But it was the first week of October, and this wasn’t the summer build. Although work continued on the house after the summer build officially ended, a flurry of excitement returned to the neighborhood with the 2010 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.

Donjia’s house was chosen to be part of the 27^th annual Carter Work Project and along with a house sponsored by Lowe’s on Whitall Street in St. Paul, continued in the Women Build tradition all week. I saw familiar faces from the summer as well as new volunteers eager to complete the home. So much energy flowed in and around the house as women painted walls, installed laminate flooring, put up exterior siding, and trimmed windows and doors. To see ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of both rehabilitated houses is amazing and a true testament to the power of compassionate women!

The homes were dedicated as part of the Carter Work Project's closing ceremonies on October 8, when thousands of volunteers joined with neighborhood residents in celebration of a successful week. To see photographs from the builds, visit our Facebook page or the Women Build website.

Although this may be the final e-mail update for the year, Women Build continues year-round! The Women Build Regular Crew has started working again -- volunteer opportunities on the first Friday and third Thursdays of each month are posted here. We will also have one general construction Women Build Saturday each month.

Thank you once again for being a part of Women Build at Twin Cities Habitat. Our circle of volunteers, sponsors, and donors continues to grow and make great things possible. Stay tuned for ways to be involved in the 2011 summer build!

Be well,
Andrea Cole 2010
Women Build Committee Member
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity