Women Build 2010

The weather was hot, muggy and at times even rainy, but that did not stop the crew of 200-plus women from coming out to support Sea Island Habitat’s 10^th annual Women Build project.

This year’s build took place on Genesis Street in the Brownswood Place neighborhood of Johns Island and is the fifty-first SIHH home to be built in the neighborhood. The Martinez family, consisting of single mom Maribel (39) and children Maria (20), Ivan (18) and Tanya (16), was this year’s Women Build family. Maribel is a hardworking mother who is committed to helping her children achieve their dreams as well as reaching her own dream. “Owning my own home will open many doors for me and my children” says Maribel.

Throughout the week, Maribel and her children were out on site EVERY day, working alongside volunteers to pound nails, install windows and siding, and raise the walls and roof of their first home. In addition to the Martinez family, there was a strong contingent of local women on site and some women even travelled from faraway places such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania specifically for this project.

“It’s fun, it gives you’re a real sense of accomplishment, and it makes you feel good,” says Lorene Beach of North Andover, Mass., who has traveled to Johns Island for the past two Women Build projects. SC former first lady Jenny Sanford, along with news reporters Tracey Amick, Natalie Caula, Renee Williams and the cast and crew of Army Wives, also came out to build with SIHH.

Without such dedicated volunteers to build the home or donors to fund it, this year’s project would not have been possible. Thanks to the generous support of community organizations and individuals, SIHH is proud to report that it has exceeded its $70,000 funding goal, raising a total of just under $75,000 for the home. A national supporter of Habitat since 2003 and underwriter of Habitat’s Women Build Program, Lowes played a huge role in helping SIHH achieve this funding goal by providing the organization with a $30,000 grant to build the 2010 Women Build home. Generous individual donations, coupled with the project’s multiple special events and in-kind donations, have helped to raise the additional revenue. Due to such generous financial support, SIHH was also able to make this home the “greenest” home the affiliate has ever built, using hardiplank siding, spray foam insulation and a solar hot water heater to not only meet Earthcraft standards but also to save on the family’s future utility expenses.

We are so thankful to all the wonderful volunteers, donors and staff who made this year’s build such a success, and we look forward to celebrating with you when we dedicate the Martinez family’s home later this fall.

To see pictures from this year's build, please click: http://picasaweb.google.com/seaislandhabitat/WomenBuild2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCLXs6_qJxYWB1wE#

For pictures from the Habitat for HumaniTEA Party, please click http://picasaweb.google.com/seaislandhabitat/2010HabitatForHumaniTEAParty#