Morris Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s Help Families Build Homes

More than 85 women construction volunteers are joining together on May 7 – May 12 to help local families build decent and affordable homes in Mine Hill, N.J. The project is part of the 11th annual Habitat for Humanity’s National Women Build Week, which also spotlights the homeownership challenges facing women.

“We’re excited to partner with Lowe’s to educate, inspire and empower women to advocate and help Habitat homeowners love where they live through building or improving an affordable place they can call home,” said Blair Schleicher Bravo, Morris Habitat for Humanity CEO. “We want to engage women of all skill levels to join their friends, families and neighbors to build up their communities.”

On Thursday, May 10, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., volunteers from the Morris County Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Committee will come together to work on the Randall Avenue project in Mine Hill. The project includes three new construction homes and one renovation. Debbie Wolpov, chair of the chamber’s Women in Business Committee, will lead the effort to bring out the women of Morris County in support of our 2018 Women Build Week.

“Morris County is an expensive county to live in and it’s not easy to make ends meet,” said Debbie Wolpov, national sales executive with Premier Payments Merchant Services. “With so little affordable housing in the area, it’s important to give back. If we can do something today to make a difference for someone tomorrow, what’s better than that?”

National Women Build Week, a nationwide initiative created by Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s in 2008, has brought together more than 117,000 all-women construction volunteers to build or repair homes with nearly 5,000 families over the past 10 years. This year, Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to Habitat for Humanity to support the 2018 National Women Build Week, which is set to take place in 300 communities nationwide.

“Lowe’s is proud to sponsor National Women Build Week to educate, inspire and empower women to volunteer alongside other women in their community to address the critical issue of affordable housing. We know women working together are an unstoppable force for creating meaningful change in our communities,” said Colleen B. Penhall, Lowe’s vice president of corporate social responsibility. “At Lowe’s, we believe that a safe, stable home is an important source of strength, pride and security for families. Together with Habitat, our Lowe’s Heroes volunteers and women nationwide, National Women Build Week will provide valuable support to advance accessible housing in the communities where we all live and work.”

Since Lowe’s national partnership with Habitat for Humanity began in 2003, the home improvement company has committed more than $63 million to Habitat and helped nearly 6,500 families improve their living conditions.

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 Morris Habitat for Humanity

Morris Habitat for Humanity is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization committed to building homes, communities and hope. Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Morris Habitat builds new homes and provides home repair services to income eligible families. Morris Habitat collaborates with other Habitat affiliates and related housing organizations to improve the affordable housing stock in the region, and over the last four years has more than doubled the number of homes built. Morris Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion. Since 1985, Morris Habitat has served over 400 households through home ownership opportunities, home preservation, and international home building programs. Proceeds from the ReStore, opened 2007, have helped to fund construction while diverting almost 5,800 tons of useable material from local landfills. The ReStore store is located at 274 South Salem Street, Randolph. For more information, visit www.morrishabitat.org or call 973.891.1934.