Women Build, Working Wonders

For the past couple of years I've had a relationship with Habitat for Humanity to promote their Women Build and Girls Build programs. It's a wonderful organization, building decent, affordable houses for families all over the world.

Women Build houses are constructed by almost all-female crews. Lowes sponsors Women Build and contributes skilled volunteers from their stores to help train inexperienced builders, run the really big machinery, and organize construction. Watching women learn to swing hammers with accurate vengeance, watching the house take form, watching the family receive their first set of keys... it's an amazing thing. I'm honored to have even a small part in it.

May 2-10 is National Women Build Week, and there is at least one Woman Build house going in each of the 50 states, 200 builds in all. I'll be helping out in Silverton, Oregon on Saturday, May 9th, on a house being built for Nadya Seledkov and her three children. One of her children is severely disabled, and amazingly, Nadya is living with all three children in a pole barn at the moment.

So, in these days leading up to Mother's Day, give a thought to women everywhere and the organizations dedicated to helping them. 

For more information visit www.habitat.org

2007 Suffolk County NY Women Build

P.S. That same day, May 9th, I'll be signing copies of This Might Not Be Pretty to help raise a little money and awareness, for the Silverton Women Build project... 

1:30 p.m.• Lunaria Gallery • Downtown Silverton, Oregon

Comments

[Lisa Anderl]

Hi Jan - thanks for forwarding my request to your permissions dept. I will give it a few more days to hear back from them. Yes, we were sad to see the PI go, and am annoyed that the Times did not pick you up. Does it help if we lobby them? Best - Lisa

[Jan Eliot]

Yes, it helps if you lobby. Newspapers like to hear from readers and take their opinions to heart. Thank you!

[Pat Klemme]

Hello Jan Eliot,

I'm a regular reader of Stone Soup and today's strip drove me to my computer to find you. Thank you for raising our consciousness and encouraging us to help one another. And here I find you are working with Habitat for Humanity! When we focus on helping others rather than our own precarious positions (some of which are quite safe in comparison!), God smiles.

You rock! Thank you again,

Pat Klemme
Phoenix
Arizona Republic reader

[Jan Eliot]

Hi Pat... well, lots of women and men do more work for Habitat than I do, but I really believe in the work they are doing. What impresses me most is that the people who volunteer often have little more themselves. Habitat has figured out a way to offer something that really changes lives forever, for the house recipient, and the volunteers as well.

Thanks for you kind comments regarding my strip. You made my day!

Jan

[Ajlouny]

Awesome cause changing the lives of so many people.