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 This summer, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's (TCHFH) eighth WomenBuild project will once again provide the opportunity for hundreds of women-from all walks of life and from across the metro-to come together in the common goal of addressing the affordable housing crisis.
WomenBuild projects are led by a female site supervisor, and provide women the unique opportunity to work on a predominantly female volunteer crew.
"I volunteered once and I still talk about it to this day. It was so fulfilling and hearing the family's stories brought me to tears...My children were so proud of me...To know I was a small, little piece in such a huge thing makes me smile," said Angela Schutte, a volunteer from Xcel Energy.
Since 1998, WomenBuild crews have built more than 1,200 Habitat homes around the world. Each year, at least 150 new homes are added to the list as Habitat affiliates, donors and sponsors discover the impact that women can make when they join together to tackle the issue of sub-standard housing.
The 2008 TCHFH WomenBuild project benefits from outstanding female leadership, including Susie A. Davis, Executive Vice President of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Davis, who served as co-chair of Habitat's 2007WomenBuild, recruited 20 Wells Fargo senior executive women to take part in this project, and has returned to chair the project again in 2008.
"WomenBuild has great impact not only because it mobilizes a large pool of women volunteers, but it also provides women leadership roles in tackling the growing need for affordable housing in our community," said Davis.
This year, the location of the project also lends to the spirit of WomenBuild. Located in the Como neighborhood in St. Paul, the home will be built on land that was donated by Susan Wick and Glen Shifflet. Over 22 years ago, a single woman and new to the Twin Cities, Wick bought the house in St. Paul. Over the years, Wick married, started a family and eventually outgrew her first independently owned home. Last fall, the couple decided to donate the property to Twin Cities Habitat. Rehabilitating the home was considered, but it was determined more cost-effective to tear it down and start fresh. Now the site will provide hundreds of women an empowering environment where they can work together and develop new skills.
Twin Cities Habitat will dedicate the 2007 WomenBuild home later this Spring. For new homeowner Wameng Xiong the home means safety and opportunity for his family. After fleeing Laos in 1980 and living in refugee camps for over 10 years, Wameng's family arrived in Minneapolis in 1995. Wameng, his wife Kia Lee and their three small children, Nou, Angelina and Christy, are eagerly anticipating their new home.
"We have a safe neighborhood and good schools for our kids, and we have the freedom, privacy and opportunity to start a better life," said Wameng. "Habitat shows that with one another's help we can have the power to become a better community."
For more information about WomenBuild 2008, please contact Heather Erickson at 612-331-4090 x638 or send email to
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Contributed by Shelly Darnall and Eric Wise
Photo caption: Power tools are popular on the WomenBuild site.
Photo by Andrea Cole
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