Girl Power

The Seahawks Auxiliary Group joins with Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program to help provide affordable housing.

Photography by James R. Anderson

This Month: Seattle Washington

Tool belts jingled, hammers pounded, and sawdust filled the air last October, when Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County partnered with the wives, girlfriends, and female staff members of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team to frame two new homes at High Point in West Seattle. These women, who make up the Seahawks Auxiliary Group, were participating in Women Build, a Habitat for Humanity International program underwritten by Lowe's.

As the official home improvement retailer for the NFL team and its home stadium, Qwest Field, Lowe's provides community involvement opportunities for the Seahawks Auxiliary Group. The houses framed in the October project are two of 20 homes that Habitat for Humanity of Seattle/South King County is building in High Point, a new master- planned neighborhood designed by the Seattle Housing Authority.

Featuring low-impact sustainable design in an urban setting, the High Point community is the first large-scale development of its kind in the United States. More than 100 mature trees were preserved, and thousands more have been planted. The plan also implemented a natural drainage system to manage storm water, improve water quality, and protect salmon habitat. The finished product, scheduled to be complete in 2009, will be a mixed-income, pedestrian-oriented community that includes 1,600 homes in the market-rate and affordable categories. A week before the build, Lowe's hosted a one-day training workshop for the Seahawks Auxiliary Group and supplied hats and gloves. Habitat for Humanity and Lowe's staff instructed the women in the basics of framing a house, such as how to square and plumb the frame, what types of nails are appropriate for framing, and the differences between framing hammers and finishing hammers.

Although the weather was dreary, cold, and wet on the day of the build, nothing could dampen the women's spirits. "The whole day was great," says Julia Ashworth, a member of the Seahawks Auxiliary Group. "Knowing that [we] could help out and be a part of a great organization like Habitat for Humanity is a privilege." Since the official creation of Women Build in 1998, the program has put up more than 1,000 homes around the world. Its mission is to empower women to take action against poverty-level housing conditions by building homes and communities. Women Build teaches construction skills that the participants otherwise might not have the chance to learn. In partnership with Lowe's, local Habitat affiliates and the Habitat for Humanity International Women Build department provide training, education, and resources for volunteers, preparing them for their projects as well as transforming them into informed advocates for Habitat for Humanity. Since 2004, Lowe's has offered a series of six Women Build how-to clinics for the benefit of any Habitat affiliate. "I love to work outside, get my hands dirty, and accomplish something, especially since it is helping to provide housing for a family that needs it," Ashworth says. "I believe that [Habitat for Humanity] is a great organization."

As the underwriter for Women Build, Lowe's is helping to make sure that the program continues to grow. To learn how you can get involved with Women Build or to locate a Habitat affiliate near you, go to Habitat.org.

The group braved a wet workday to help out on the Habitat project.

Tool School

Inspired Women

It's never too late to fasten on that tool belt and become handier around the house.

Kobalt's 22-piece tool bag set (#278617), shown left, will get you off on the right foot. Complete with a cool blue bag, the tools in this set feature a soft-grip design that reduces vibration as well as hand fatigue.
If you would like a set that includes more tools, try the Task Force 43-piece tool set (#246673). It includes a level, tape measure, hammer, and pliers, plus a handsaw, a hacksaw, a micro screwdriver set, scissors, and more.
If you don't have much experience with tools, however, don't take on a leaky faucet or broken window unprepared! Pick up a copy of Dare to Repair, a "do-it-herself" guide that gives step-by-step instructions and tools needed for many minor home repairs.

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