A BIG SUCCESS: In support of National Women Build Week 2018, 18,000 volunteers from over 300 communities came together to build Habitat houses for one week in May. At Coastal Empire HFH, women-led groups began construction on our 144th Habitat home for Tanya Rodriguez and her family. Nearly 90 women from JCB, Thomas & Hutton, Lowe's, Publix, Budget Blinds, James W. Buckley & Associates, and individual volunteers came together to clear and clean the lot, hammer nails, and build frames at our E. 40th Street work site.
Every morning groups arrived with smiling faces and motivation to get their hands dirty, learn new construction skills, and practice teamwork by building something that they will be proud of. Not only were we impressed by the progress these teams made, but we were excited to see how passionate these women were about this project. We invite these volunteers to join us in celebrating the completion of this build at the end of the year. Next year, we are hoping to expand Women Build Week into two weeks so we can accommodate more businesses and individuals that would like to participate. Coastal Empire HFH thanks everyone who took time out of their schedule to help us build futures.
"I've never done any type of "build" before and was amazed that I was actually hammering and framing together something that will become a home. Even more inspiring was working alongside Tanya, the future homeowner, who shared how excited and grateful she was to be realizing the dream of having her own home for her and her kids." - Cathy Colasanto "I felt honored to work with Habitat and Publix on the Women's Build. Especially as this particular house is for one of my own associates. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to give back to the community. I enjoyed working with a great organization and knowing the impact it has for our community." - Cheryl Stubblefield