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Origins of Women Build
The Women Build initiative began in 1991 when a group of women in
Charlotte, N.C., completed the first women-built Habitat for Humanity
house. The idea spread and in May 1998, the Women Build department of
Habitat for Humanity International was officially instituted. Since
1991, women crews have built more than 350 Habitat houses in the
United States.
“Habitat for Humanity International's Women Build department promotes
the involvement of women in the construction of Habitat houses.
Women-built projects provide an opportunity for women to learn
construction in a supportive environment. Women Build works through
affiliates to nurture, recruit and train women to build and maintain
simple, decent, affordable homes. Construction is a male-dominated
field. Even on the more “forgiving” Habitat sites, men still take the
lead in construction, and women are relegated—sometimes due to their
own lack of confidence—to tasks such as painting, landscaping and
cleaning up the site. On a Women Build site, women feel more
comfortable and are willing to tackle all aspects of construction and,
given the right training, quickly become skilled. ”
Coastal Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Project completed in
2005
Coastal Habitat for Humanity recently completed their first Women
Build project. The project was planned, funded and built by women. It
was a great success. The project involved church groups, women's
groups, local businesses and corporations, as well as individuals.
There were women from the local community as well as from both north
Jersey and New York. There were mothers, students, grandmothers and
young children. Some women were homemakers; some worked full time and
others part time. These varying women all had one thing in common;
they were part of a special project designed specifically for women, a
Women Build, whose main goal is to fulfill a family's dream of
affordable home ownership.
Planning and Fundraising
At Coastal Habitat for Humanity, women raised money and solicited
donations in many ways. The first fund raiser event was a Wine Tasting
Reception held on May 6, 2004. On August 28, 2004 there was a second
fundraiser held in conjunction with the Lakewood Blue Claws, a minor
league baseball team, and the last major fundraiser event “A Night on
the Red Carpet” fashion show and gift auction was held on October 14,
2004. Throughout the planning, fundraising and building stages,
Coastal Habitat for Humanity initiated Honor a Woman Certificates.
Through this program, people made a donation in honor of a special
woman in their life. That woman received a personalized certificate
notifying her of the donation made in her name and its significance.
Each woman’s name was etched on a beam of the Women Build House. In
addition to these fundraisers there was a volunteer in charge of grant
writing. There were also two committees: one in charge of soliciting
small businesses and the other for corporate sponsors. We were
extremely fortunate to have Weichert Realtors serve as a sponsor of
the house by donating $10,000. Coastal Habitat for Humanity’s Women
Build project received generous donations of both gifts in kind and
cash. The largest of these was Weyerheuser, with their gift of
$10,000. Other companies included K Hovanian, CMM Construction
Company, NJ Gravel and Sand, Ferguson Enterprises, Airtight Sprayfoam,
Breeze Corporation, Total Comfort and Maser Consulting. The Women
Build project also received financial donations from Fleet Bank and
the Amboy Foundation. Through the generosity of those mentioned above
and many more the planned project was able to become a reality.
Volunteer Groups were Vital
In addition to a core group of volunteers, there were special groups
that came to help out including the NJ State Troopers Blue and Gold
Club, Weichert Realtors, Wachovia, Old Navy, Monmouth County Moms and
More, Women’s Club of Brielle, Crown Beer Distributors, Deloitte and
Touche, Central Jersey Young Adult Club and the Spring Lake Garden
Club. Women volunteers worked diligently from the start in November
2004 all the way through the finish in June 2005. The strong
commitment level of the volunteers was vital to the success of this
first Women Build project.
Survey Results of Women Build Study
Following the completion of the house, a student intern, Elizabeth
Santa- Donato, conducted a survey of those involved to determine who
made up the volunteer pool, how they learned about the project, what
interested them about it, and what they thought went well and/or
poorly. Her findings included: the project attracted women from
various economic backgrounds, levels of education, ages and different
areas of residency. Of those surveyed, 70% did live in Monmouth
County, where Coastal Habitat is located. However, there were also
volunteers from five other counties in New Jersey as well as New York.
The levels of education of our volunteers were also diverse. While
19.4% had a High School diploma, the majority, (41.9%) had a college
diploma. Another 35.5% held a Master’s Degree and one woman held a
doctorate degree. Interestingly, half of the volunteers who answered
our survey, 51.7%, were between the ages of 46-55. The second largest
age group was 56-65 with 27.6% of the respondents falling in that
category. Volunteers aged 36-45 made up 13.8% of those who responded
and the other 6.9% were 66 and over. In total, 86.2% of those who
volunteered were 46 or older.
The respondents were eager to identify the positive aspects of the
Women Build. Repeated comments that were made about the strengths
included: everyone worked well together, there was a high level of
commitment (even if that meant working from early in the morning until
5 or 7 at night to get the job done), the desire to help each other
and teach each other, teamwork and excellent fundraising. Many
respondents cited that everyone’s opinion was important, the
dedication to the project was amazing, the various groups were well
coordinated and it was a welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, all of
the women were hard working and dedicated. They gained a sense of
accomplishment in a safe environment where they felt a sense of
camaraderie and positive attitudes. The women enjoyed working toward a
common goal and the opportunity to work hands on in the community.
They felt the project was well executed and a great learning
experience.
There were many aspects of a Women Build project in which volunteers
could become involved. Many served in several capacities. Of those
surveyed, 73.5% were involved in building. The second largest group
was comprised of those involved in fundraising, 41.2%. Other ways
people helped was through family support, providing lunches,
newsletter work, and website design and maintenance. Not surprisingly,
large numbers of volunteers helped with fundraising and the actual
building.
Overall it appeared that an opportunity to acquire new skills and the
camaraderie of other women are what most attracted people to a Women
Build. Large numbers of people thought that a sense of empowerment and
a non-threatening work environment were not as important.
Although Women Build was an overall success, as with most first time
projects, there were areas for improvement: keeping the project on
schedule, better communication schedule, additional skilled mentors
were needed and the build was not always as inclusive as desired.
The majority of those involved were evenly distributed as having
gotten involved either because they heard about the project through
word of mouth, a Habitat website, or through previous Habitat
affiliations.
Summary
We learned that while “Women make up 50% of Habitat for Humanity’s
volunteer force; yet, often because of lack of training, they account
for less than 15% of workers on the construction site. By receiving
training as part of the build, women are better equipped to maintain
their homes and consequently, are more confident to cope with
day-to-day situations. ” Women Build is clearly a worthwhile and
successful project.
The Coastal Habitat for Humanity Women Build project brought women
together, provided a welcoming and safe construction environment for
the women volunteers, and taught them new skills which in turn led to
feelings of empowerment and heightened self esteem levels. Women Build
provided a positive environment where they felt they could ask
questions and learn new skills in a positive, open environment.
The Coastal Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build project seems to have
begun to break down numerous barriers. It gave women a chance to get
away from the stereotypes and learn that they can work on a
construction site. It also demonstrated how valuable they are to the
success of all of our building projects.
For more information please contact:
Maureen Mulligan Telephone: (732) 974-2422
Email:
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