www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
WOMEN BUILD with Habitat for Humanity
Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity International program that encourages
women to make a difference by building homes and communities. Since 1998, Women
Build volunteers have constructed more than 1,200 homes around the world.
Women Build brings together women from all walks of life to address in a concrete
way the housing crisis facing millions of women and children across the globe. The
more people we can train to become effective volunteers, the better equipped we will
be to fight poverty housing – and we are training women to do just that.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO
GET INVOLVED!
 Volunteer on the job site
 Serve on a planning team
(fundraising, PR & outreach, construction, training, etc.)
 Make a donation
 Provide an in-kind gift of construction materials/labor
Please contact us for more information.
Loveland Habitat for Humanity
970-669-9769
www.lovelandhabitatforhumanity.org
pepper@lovelandhabitatforhumanity.org
www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
First Name:
Last Name:
Street Address:
City:
State:
Home Telephone:
E-mail Address:
Zip Code:
Other Telephone (i.e. cell, work):
___
EMERGENCY CONTACT
Name:
Telephone #:
AFFILIATIONS
Church
School Group
Service Learning Project
Company __
Service Organization
Other
AREAS OF INTEREST (Please check all that apply.)
Fundraising Team
PR & Outreach Team
Training Team
Construction Volunteer Team
Construction Volunteer
CONSTRUCTION SKILLS
Please estimate your skill level in the following areas:
1. Expert/Tradesperson
2. Very skilled, can supervise
3. Skilled
1
Cabinets
Doors & Windows
Drywall
Framing
Insulation
Landscaping & Sod
Painting
Power Tools
2
3
4
4. Have some experience
5. No experience, but willing to learn
5
1
2
3
4
5
Roofing
Site Clean-up
Tiling
Trim & Carpentry
Siding
(other)
*Note: Plumbing, electrical, ventilation, and concrete work are done by licensed contractors and are not available to volunteers.
www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
Women Build Planning Teams
Fundraising Team (Meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00pm)
The Fundraising Team’s goal is to raise $80,000 through personal appeals, corporate sponsorships, gifts-in-kind
materials and labor, and product sales.
Team Objectives:
• Solicit businesses, organizations, and individuals through personal visits and written correspondence, especially
women-owned or led businesses and organizations and request funding at the appropriate level
• Coordinate all approaches and solicitation efforts with Loveland Habitat for Humanity to ensure successful
interconnection with the overall organizational fundraising strategy
• Maintain and distribute to team members and Habitat staff, on a monthly basis, a spreadsheet outlining solicitation
potentials, Habitat feedback, approach and results
• Develop and implement a fundraising team complete with schedule and a list of potential fundraising activity and
event ideas
• Send thank you cards to all Women Build donors
• Sell Women Build merchandise at Women Build events and other appropriate venues
PR & Outreach Team (Meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at 6:30pm)
The PR & Outreach Team educates the community about the mission of Loveland Habitat for Humanity, about the
plight of women and children in poverty, and the goals of Women Build.
Team Objectives:
• Coordinate with appropriate agencies to organize women-oriented informational booths at local events
• Create and distribute materials about the Women Build program to get the word out.
• Develop and implement a media plan
• Make arrangements for signs on the job site
• Photograph all Women Build events and activities
• Coordinate all special events (Groundbreaking Ceremony, Dedication Ceremony, and Devotions)
• Communicate with all Women Build volunteers via email newsletter
Training Team – The Training Team works with Lowe’s and Loveland Habitat for Humanity staff to
arrange for appropriate construction skills training for Women Build participants. They also organize and
implement the crew leader training process.
Tasks:
• Work with Lowe’s to schedule clinics
• Assist Lowe’s in shaping the content of training clinics (what is relevant to the Loveland Habitat for Humanity
build site, balancing instruction and hands-on, etc.)
• Attend training clinics to ensure that all participants sign-in and explain/promote the crew leader program
• Outline a leadership training class for crew leaders and organize with Loveland Habitat for Humanity staff
www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
Construction Volunteer Team – Recruits volunteers to work on the Women Build construction site.
Team Objectives:
• Serve as the contact point for all women interested in volunteering on the construction site.
• Collect volunteer forms and waivers from all Women Build construction volunteers and submit them to the office.
• Maintain an Excel spreadsheet of all volunteers.
• Recruit 10 construction volunteers per workday. It is essential not to assign too many people to the house. Work
with your construction team to ensure you have enough, but not too many, volunteers for each workday. If you
have more volunteers than you need for a particular day, encourage some of them to sign up for another day.
• Create name badges for team members and construction volunteers.
• Coordinate with Loveland Habitat for Humanity staff to schedule an orientation meeting for all volunteers before
starting construction.
• Send thank you’s to volunteers.
• Develop and submit to Loveland Habitat for Humanity staff ideas for recognizing Women Build participants.
• Serve as Greeters during Build Days (need ~ 2-3/day)
www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the Women Build program?
Answer: Women Build is a Habitat for Humanity International program that encourages
women to make a difference by building homes and communities. The program seeks to
encourage women volunteers to further the home-building mission of Habitat for
Humanity. Since Women Build’s official creation in 1998, Women Build volunteers have
constructed more than 1,000 homes around the world. In 2006, approximately 32,000
volunteers helped build an additional 160 Women Build houses.
Question: What is the Women Build training program?
Answer: The Women Build training program teaches women volunteers how to
construct decent, affordable housing with Habitat affiliates worldwide.
Women Build is not about excluding men. It is about including women and opening
new doors of opportunity. Men are often involved in our training programs and build
projects in supportive roles and as subcontractors when women from the necessary
trades are not available.
On a Women Build site,
women feel more comfortable
and are willing to tackle all
aspects of construction.
~Steffan Hacker
Question: Does Habitat promote feminist issues?
Answer: Decent, affordable housing is not a feminist issue. It is a quality of life and basic human dignity issue
facing families everywhere. The Women Build department of Habitat for Humanity International has one mission,
and that is to empower women to take action against poverty housing conditions. Women Build brings together
women from all walks of life to address in a concrete way the housing crisis facing millions of women and children
across the globe. The more people we can train to become effective volunteers, the better equipped we will be to
fight poverty housing—and we are training women to do just that.
At the same time, Women Build supports the advocacy programs of Habitat for Humanity International by
collecting information regarding challenges that face women worldwide, in particular the question of property
rights. Women Build is exploring partnerships with several Non Government Organizations (NGOs) in developing
countries to assist them in bringing the full rights and responsibilities of homeownership to women.
Question: How do homeowners feel about their homes being built by women?
Answer: The homeowners are thrilled to finally have a home, and women of all ages have proven themselves
capable in the construction of homes. For single mothers, a Women Build is even more empowering. Women and
men alike have great respect and gratitude for the women volunteers and for the skills they acquire working side by
side.
Question: What do you do if there is a male homeowner?
Answer: Male homeowners build right alongside women volunteers.
www.LovelandHabitatForHumanity.org
Tel: (970)669-9769 Fax: (970)278-1307
Wait!
There’s a MAN on our
Women Build site!
Women Build is about providing a comfortable learning environment for women to discover they can build Habitat
for Humanity homes; Women Build is about attracting new resources to your affiliate; Women Build is about
raising the profile of Habitat within your community through well-planned media and marketing opportunities.
Women Build is not about proving women can do anything men can do—there is nothing to be gained in even
going in that direction. Superiority of the sexes has been fought over long before you and I came along—and will
likely continue long after we’re gone.
A single sentence provides probably the best definition:
Women Build is not about excluding men; it’s about including women.
A Women Build site is described as one that is predominantly occupied by women. Despite the advances that
women have made in the professional industry over the last 20 years, construction is still one area in which women
have yet to obtain a real presence by way of numbers—or, indeed, by way of recognition of skills. In the
construction industry, women make up only little more than 3 percent of the workforce.
Therefore, when it comes to locating women in the sub-trades for your build, it may still be challenging. There is
nothing wrong with hiring male subcontractors. There is nothing wrong with having male construction supervisors
overseeing the house construction — the key is to be sure that women are doing the actual, hands-on building of
the house.
The rule of thumb to follow here is that (outside of the realm of subcontractors) if there are men on the site, they
should be there in the capacity of “teacher-only.” Their role is to demonstrate the various construction tasks, train
and equip women to do the work. Women want to learn and they won’t do so if men “take over” the tasks at hand.
Do keep the number of men down, though—having 25 male “teachers” to five women “students,” as one affiliate
did, completely defeats the purpose of engaging women.
Women Build should be a pleasant, fun experience for all concerned and should remain focused on the end result—
building a home with another family in need.