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Habitat for Humanity Red Deer hosts first ever Women’s Build

Aug 23, 2018 | 3:44 PM

Habitat for Humanity Red Deer hosted its first ever Women’s Build during ongoing construction of its latest project in Red Deer on Thursday.

The affordable home building project in Red Deer’s Aspen Ridge neighbourhood is a duplex on Adamson Avenue that will soon house two families in need once construction is completed later this year.

Natasha Bhola, Volunteer and Communications Coordinator, Habitat for Humanity Red Deer, says the project is one of their first in Red Deer in quite some time.

“For the last three years or so we’ve been in Lacombe,” says Bhola. “This one will house a family of four on the one side and on the other side, a single mother and her child. So we did have the ground breaking in February of this year and it should be completed by early November of 2018.”

She says the build is being done largely by volunteers.

“We do have a build-site assistant and our construction manager of course and we do subcontract out more technical things,” explains Bhola. “But we have a lot of volunteers, corporate teams and individuals that put their experience and time into this.”

Described as a pink-themed event on Thursday, the Women’s Build gave central Alberta women the chance to meet other women, learn new building skills and support local families in achieving affordable home ownership.

“We do have 14 volunteers,” says Bhola. “We had all women and one male volunteer for today and we also had three ladies from the Curvy Brush Painting Company come out. That was really great cause they could teach some professional tips to our volunteers.”

“We really depend on our volunteers,” continues Bhola. “They’re a huge part of what we’re able to do. Being able to get an actual community either by donations or volunteer labour or donated materials is what makes us possible to support local families.”

Habitat for Humanity offers no-interest, no down payment mortgages for families who meet the organization’s selection criteria and demonstrate a need for decent and stable housing.

Habitat for Humanity believes a secure home provides the solid foundation families need to build strength, stability and self-reliance.