Habitat STW and Women Build celebrates 20 years of homebuilding by raising another wall

Photo by Grant Therkildsen |  nola.com

The Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West recently kicked off its 20th annual Women Build fundraiser with a wall-raising and blessing of two new habitat homes in Covington.

Over the last two decades, Women Build, with financial support from Chevron, has helped build 33 homes, and to mark their new fundraising campaign on Sept. 30, Women Build raised a wall on the 34th home funded by proceeds raised through the initiative. And very soon, the wall on a 35th home is going up as well.

Women Build is an annual fundraiser that empowers women, without excluding men, to positively impact the lives of families by making homeownership a reality. Often, more than 400 volunteers contribute some 2,065 volunteer hours or more toward Women Build homes in western St. Tammany Parish.

The Rev. Robert Beazley, of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church and Preschool, provided a blessing, and Habitat STW Board Chair Randy Ponthieux, along with Habitat STW President/CEO, Terri Gage, hosted the event. During the ceremony, Chevron Community Engagement Specialist Caitlin Hunter spoke on her company’s involvement as a Legacy Builder Sponsor and what homeownership means to the lives of our children.

“At Chevron, we feel fortunate to support Habitat’s mission to ‘put God’s love into action’ and bring people together to build homes and hope,” said Leah Brown, manager of public affairs for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. Of the new homeowners, Brown said, “Rodneisha and Angel’s roles as mothers, their fortitude and determination, are inspiring. We thank them for letting us be a part of this build — and thank everyone here for their commitment to the community.”

The Habitat STW Homeownership Center staff introduced the 2022 Women Build Homebuyers, Angel and Rodneisha, who each expressed their gratitude, joy and excitement for what’s to come.

Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West is an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing by building simple, decent and affordable homes. Since it was founded 1981 as the tenth Habitat affiliate in the U.S. and the first in Louisiana, 289 new home construction projects have been completed and sold to local partner families with no profit, zero-interest mortgages.

To get involved, contact Leighanne Weeks at lweeks@habitatstw.org.