“A blessing” seemed to be the descriptive phrase of the day on Saturday as dozens of hands were at work building the newest Habitat home in Houston County. Thanks to the sponsorship of Lowes and the hardworking volunteers at Houston County Habitat for Humanity, Jessica Everett and her two daughters are just a few months away from living in their very own three-bedroom, two-bath house. Those who passed the lot where Everett’s home is being built might have noticed that the number of females doing the manual labor outweighed that of the males.
Cheryl Glover, the Resource Development Director of Houston County Habitat for Humanity, offered clarity on why women were the primary workers. “It’s a special day,” Glover started out saying. “Today we’re celebrating International Women’s Day. We started Women’s Builder Week on March 1, and that will end on March 8. As a part of it, 6,000 women across the nation, including Canada and India, have come together to build homes for families that are in need.”
According to Glover, there are many women who are positioned as head of household and living below the poverty line. “Our goal is to help lift them up and empower them. Women across the nation are uniting to do that by giving these ladies and their children a home that’s affordable and safe, so that they can change their situation for the better.”
During Saturday’s workday, there were a few men among those who gathered on the lot on Old Mission Way in Warner Robins to help the Everett family achieve their dream. Among them was President of Houston County Habitat of Humanity Raymond Haggard. “This is a blessing,” Haggard said while allowing his eyes to scan the worksite. “I’ve been here (at Houston County Habitat) since 1991. I was here when the first house was built, and to be here seeing number 61 get built is nothing but a blessing.”
Haggard spoke further on how wonderful it was to witness the involvement of the volunteers who were helping to get the job done. He then pointed in the direction of several completed and now occupied homes on the same street on which the new one was being built. “Look around,” he said. “We’re standing in the middle of a village, and it didn’t used to be here. We’ve built one house at a time. I’ve had dreams of a village, and this is a village. It’s truly a blessing,” he reiterated, “not just to them, but to us and to the county at large.”
Warner Robins City Councilman (Post 6) Larry Curtis was also among the men wearing tool belts and doing their parts in the Habitat project. “I’m just honored to be here,” Curtis said. “It’s a blessing to our community for Habitat to come and support and show love for those who need it in Warner Robins. Habitat is a wonderful organization and they’re helping to make our community better.” While Curtis said this home is the first with which he’s assisted, it won’t likely be his last. “This has been fun as well as informative so far,” he said. “I’ve been talking and laughing with other citizens all while working beside them. Plus,” he added, patting the hammer that hung from his belt and smiling, “I’ve learned some new skills myself.”
Glover said she was pleased with the break from the rain and the turnout of helpers. “We are expecting a total of 60 volunteers to drop in throughout the day to help us here,” Glover said. “Right now we have about 30, and at least 20 of them are women.” Glover also mentioned that several Lowe’s employees were primarily involved to teach and show the volunteers how to use the equipment properly and safely, but many of the Lowe’s staff members were also actively donating time and helping with the homebuilding project.
Saturday marked day two of building the home, and Glover admits that the season’s rainy weather has somewhat slowed down the progression of the project. However, Habitat still has high hopes to have the house completed by late July or early August. “Today we want to get all the walls up,” she stated, noting that the first wall was erected ceremonially on day one.
Though everyone exuded a level of excitement about the new home, no one was more thrilled than Jessica Everett who was all smiles while she used a permanent marker to write her name on the woodwork of one of the erected walls. “I take a half day off from work every Saturday to be out here helping to build my house.” Habitat’s guidelines require that the homeowner play an active role in the building process, but Everett wouldn’t want it any other way. “It’s a blessing to know that I’m helping to build my own house.” She added that, “Doing this makes it even more special. It means a lot for me and my girls to be in a house instead of an apartment, which I’ve lived in for about 15 years.”
Everett’s daughters are ages 20 and 11, and according to Mom, the girls are overjoyed about their future in the new residence. “This will be the first time they’ve ever had their own bathroom to be share just between the two of them, and also their own backyard,” she revealed. Everett’s children are able to help with the process as well, but while her firstborn is permitted to lend a hand with the actual building process, age restraints don’t allow her younger daughter to be as physically involved. “When she comes, she just stands around and hands out water,” Everett said with a laugh. “But her grades in school count toward hours of labor, and she’s happy about that.”
Glover couldn’t say enough about the company who has been a partner to Habitat since 2003. In her opinion, the employees there deserve a lot more credit than she can give them. “I can’t thank Lowe’s enough for what they have done and are doing as a part of this International Women’s Day effort,” Glover mentioned. “They have helped us in more ways than one. Not only are they empowering women with tools and equipment, but they also gave a cash donation to Houston County Habitat in the amount of $5,000 to be used to help us further our mission. Throughout today, they will be out here 25 or more, strong doing whatever they can do to help us complete or assignment. That’s a blessing.”
While Brian Story, Pro Services Specialist with Lowes, is proud of the work they do with Habitat, he remarked, “Giving back to the community is one of the main things that Lowe’s likes to do.” He mentioned that the company not only trains people how to use tools on project sites like this one, but they also offer women’s training classes in their locations. “The people that come to these sites to help do it on a voluntary basis; we don’t force them. They want to do it, and we usually have a good turnout. It makes you feel good to be able to help somebody and give back. It’s what we do,” Story said.
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