Habitat for Humanity, Lowe's Team Up For National Women Build Week

Habitat for Humanity - North Central Georgia and Lowe’s team up for 10th annual National Women Build Week

ROSWELL, GA (May 4, 2017) – Habitat for Humanity - North Central Georgia invites women to help make a difference and learn more about the need for affordable housing in our local community during Habitat for Humanity’s 10th annual National Women Build Week, May 6-14.

“Women Build Week is a terrific way for women to come together and show their support for the work of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat North Central Georgia hopes to recruit, educate, and inspire women to build and advocate for affordable houses here in our own community,” according to Jennifer Garrard, Habitat – North Central Georgia’s Director of Resource Development.

Habitat – North Central Georgia will hold four events during this week to raise awareness and empower women.

Tuesday, May 9th, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Kendra Gives Back Shopping Event – Kendra Scott at Avalon

Kendra Scott, a contemporary jewelry store, invites shoppers for an evening of sips, sweets, and jewels. Twenty percent of proceeds from sales during the event will go to Habitat North Central Georgia. No reservation required; everyone is welcome.

Wednesday, May 10th, 12:00 p.m.

Women and Money Lunch and Learn – Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Roswell – 11060 Alpharetta Hwy.

Thrivent Financial is providing a free lunch and learn presentation on financial security, especially designed for women. Thrivent, a Habitat for Humanity supporter, wants to help women face their unique financial challenges and increasing financial clout. Lunch will be served. Reserve attendance by contacting Jennifer Yankowsky at 404-357-8405 or jennifer.yankowsky@thrivent.com.

Thursday, May 11th, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

How-to Clinic at Lowe’s in Alpharetta - 10580 Duke Dr., off of Mansell Rd.

Participants will learn to build a planter box during this free clinic. All building materials, in addition to food and door prizes will be provided, and one of Habitat – North Central Georgia’s homeowners will share her inspiring story of attaining stability and self-reliance through Habitat homeownership. Reserve attendance by calling 678-672-5223 or emailing jgarrard@habitat-ncg.org.

Saturday, May 13th

Lowe’s Heroes Build Day – Gainesville, GA 30506

Lowe’s Heroes will work alongside the Aung family on a Habitat – North Georgia build day to assist in the construction of their house.

Lowe’s helped launch National Women Build Week in 2008 to empower women to advocate for affordable housing and spotlight the homeownership challenges faced by many. Each year, Lowe’s provides the support of their employee volunteers, Lowe’s Heroes, and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills so they can feel equipped to take part in the builds. Lowe’s Heroes will be among the volunteers joining to help build decent, affordable housing in the area as part of National Women Build Week.

“Through our partnership with Habitat and support of National Women Build Week, Lowe’s empowers women to get involved in their communities, learn construction skills and make a meaningful impact,” said James Frison, Lowe’s director of community relations. “We’re grateful to all the women in Habitat – North Central Georgia’s area who will volunteer this week to help build and repair decent and affordable housing.”

Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week, including a $5,000 store gift card to Habitat for Humanity - North Central Georgia. Since 2003, Lowe’s has committed more than $63 million to Habitat’s mission and helped more than 6,500 families improve their living conditions.

The need for affordable housing is critical in Habitat – North Central Georgia’s service area. More than 80% of families with incomes below $35,000 spend more than 50% of their income on rent in our region, putting families and children at risk of not being able to afford what they need for success. A report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition concluded that renters would need to earn at least $18.25 per hour, almost a dollar more an hour than the local median wage, to afford to rent a moderately-priced rental home. Habitat – North Central Georgia promotes strength, stability, and self-reliance by offering families affordable homeownership opportunities.

Habitat’s first Women Build event was held in 1998. Since then, all-women construction crews have helped build more than 2,500 homes in partnership with families. For more information on Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and to learn about Women Build events in communities across the U.S. year-round, visit Habitat.org/wb.

About Habitat for Humanity – North Central Georgia

Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia is a non-profit, Christian housing ministry that builds affordable homes for purchase by low- to moderate-income families who demonstrate a capacity for responsible homeownership. Since its inception in 1995, Habitat-NCG has completed 291 homes serving over 1,150 family members in North Fulton, Cherokee, Forsyth, and Dawson counties. Each family is required to attend six educational classes and perform 200-300 sweat equity hours. Families earn between 30% and 60% of the Atlanta area median income and purchase their homes from Habitat, which finances the purchase with a 30-year, no-interest loan. In addition, Habitat-North Central Georgia has completed 29 repair projects serving veterans and seniors since 2014. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, the ministry also operates a ReStore, selling new and gently used building materials, furniture, and household goods, in Roswell. For more information on Habitat for Humanity-North Central Georgia, please visit www.habitat-ncg.org.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in nearly 1,400 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

About Lowe’s in the Community

Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 60-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. In the past decade, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $300 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter.

About Thrivent Financial

Thrivent Financial is a faith-based, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping its nearly 2.5 million members to be wise with money and to live generous lives. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial joins with its members to create and support national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit Thrivent.com.

About Habitat for Humanity ReStore

The Suburban Atlanta Habitat for Humanity ReStores are owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity International to serve our mission of building homes, communities and hope. At the Habitat ReStores, our staff and volunteers happily accept donations of new and gently-used items. We sell those items to treasure hunters and bargain shoppers alike to raise money for our mission of eliminating substandard housing. The Habitat ReStores provide a more affordable avenue for home improvement projects, all while keeping tons of perfectly good items from ending up in the landfill.

Proceeds benefit Habitat – North Central Georgia, HFHI, and other local Habitat affiliates. The Habitat ReStore concept started in 1991 as Habitat affiliates began to receive donations of building materials and household goods that donors thought could be used in Habitat homes. Though the generosity was greatly appreciated, it proved impractical to redesign blueprints to fit the dimension of specific doors, windows and cabinet sets that had been donated. Instead, Habitat affiliates began selling these donated items to the public and using the proceeds to cover costs of homebuilding. Currently, there are more than 825 Habitat ReStores in the United States and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.suburbanatlantarestores.org/.