Habitat for Humanity, Lowe’s and 17,000 women build with 650 families during Habitat’s National Women Build Week

Washington, D.C. April, 29 – (RealEstateRama) — Women volunteers will gather this evening in 10 cities across the U.S. for a different kind of Girls’ Night Out. With the help of Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers, they will be wielding hammers, saws and nails under the stars to frame houses as part of Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week. The largest partnership initiative between Habitat and Lowe’s, the event is dedicated to empowering women while helping families build or improve a place they can call home.

From April 30 to May 8, National Women Build Week will bring together more than 17,000 women to build or repair homes alongside 650 families, progressing toward Lowe’s and Habitat’s goal to help 1,000 families have safe, stable homes by the holidays. More than 300 Habitat locations will host National Women Build Week activities this year, including new home construction and neighborhood revitalization projects.

“Every helping hand makes a difference and we’re thrilled thousands of women across the country are generously volunteering their talent and time during Habitat’s National Women Build Week to help families in their local community have a decent place to call home,” said Lisa Marie Nickerson, associate director of Habitat for Humanity International’s Women Build program.

National Women Build Week encourages social volunteerism, a trend that ranks highly among women, as 94 percent report that volunteering is a fun way to spend time with friends, according to a new survey conducted by Lightspeed GMI Research. In fact, 70 percent of women responded in the survey that they would rather volunteer than go to a spa. The survey also found:

87 percent of women enjoy volunteer work that teaches them a new skill.
However, 75 percent said they avoid construction-related volunteering because they feel they lack the skills.
“Throughout the week, Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity teach women volunteers the necessary construction skills through how-to clinics and empower them to use those new skills while working alongside Habitat families,” said Erin Sellman, Lowe’s senior vice president of strategy, insights and planning. “It is powerful to see women from Lowe’s and communities rally together in an effort that brings us more than three-quarters of the way toward reaching our commitment to build or repair homes with 1,000 families, getting them into a safe and stable home in time for the holidays.”

Lowe’s and Habitat will launch the week by hosting 10 Girls’ Night Out events in regions across the U.S.: Atlanta, Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Indianapolis, Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham, San Diego and Seattle-Tacoma.

Lowe’s has supported Habitat’s Women Build program since 2004 and helped launch Habitat’s National Women Build Week in 2008. Each year, Lowe’s provides the help of Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills. Lowe’s contributed $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week. Since its partnership with Habitat began in 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat for Humanity International and helped more than 5,500 Habitat families improve their living conditions.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and to learn about Women Build projects in communities across the U.S., visit Habitat.org/wb or the National Women Build Week tab on Facebook.

About Habitat for Humanity International
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has grown from a grassroots effort that began on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976 to a global nonprofit housing organization in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in over 70 countries. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

About Lowe’s in the Community
Lowe’s, a FORTUNE 50 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed more than $250 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.