Habitat Launches Women Build in Honor of International Women’s Day

Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia launched registration on Friday, March 7, 2014 for its first-ever Women Build house in honor of International Women’s Day. Individuals and teams of women, in partnership with businesses geared toward women, will partner together to spend the next few months fundraising to purchase building materials to build a Habitat home for the Kalombo family. Visit www.habitat-ncg.org/womenbuild for more information.

Women Build is a nationwide Habitat for Humanity initiative to empower women to build Habitat for Humanity homes and change the lives of families within their community. House construction is seen as a traditionally male activity. The Women Build program seeks to remove the intimidation factor of the construction site and make women feel comfortable. We want women to learn new construction skills and realize that they, too, can “help build it!”

Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia’s 2014 Women Build will be held this summer and fall between July and November in the Villages at Park Creek neighborhood in the Hickory Flat area of Woodstock near the border of Cherokee and Fulton Counties.

Bijoux Kalombo came to the United States 10 years ago from The Democratic Republic of Congo. She is a single mother of 2 sets of twin boys ages 5 and 7 and currently lives with her mother to try to make ends meet. Bijoux has made significant advancements in her life since leaving an abusive marriage. She has found inner strength to apply to Habitat, find a job as a local daycare teacher, and to enroll in school to complete her college degree. She is very grateful for the opportunity for a Habitat home to raise her 4 boys in and provide them with a stable home and neighborhood full of other children to play and grow together!

Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia is a non-profit, Christian housing ministry that builds simple, decent homes for purchase by low income families who demonstrate a capacity for responsible homeownership. Habitat relies on the generosity of local companies, organizations, and individuals as house sponsors who not only provide the funds but also the volunteer labor for completing the home.  Since its inception in 1995, 250 homes have been completed and over 850 family members have been served in North Fulton, Cherokee and Forsyth/Dawson counties. Each family is required to attend 10 educational classes and perform 300 sweat equity hours. Families earn between 25% and 60% of the Atlanta area median income and purchase their homes from Habitat which provides them with a 25-year, no-interest loan.  Family members work side by side with the volunteers, sponsors, and Habitat staff to build their homes. These families not only get to experience the pride of homeownership but they also know that their lives will be changed forever. For more information on Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia, please visit www.habitat-ncg.org.