Habitat for Humanity’s WomenBuild event drew a large group from Poynette
On Saturday, Aug. 17 over a dozen women from the Poynette area participated in the Baraboo WomenBuild.
Sponsored by Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity, WomenBuild events are days when women are invited to construction sites to learn new building skills.
“This fun event fights poverty because owning a home is a good way for women to build up equity and improve their lives – yet many women refuse to buy a home because they believe they couldn’t do basic maintenance,” said Eleanor Chiquoine, Habitat for Humanity of Sauk-Columbia Area Executive Director. “Each of these participants proved that women can do a great job on a build site.”
Anyone interested in volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, or applying to one of the housing programs can call the Baraboo office at (608) 448-2888 or visit www.hfhsca.org.
Community work day
Join Habitat for Humanity of Sauk-Columbia Area (HFHSCA) and Neighborhood Housing Services of Richland County (NHS) for a day of volunteering and community building.
HFHSCA and NHS will host a Community Workday on Tuesday, Sept. 24 from 1-6 p.m. for area volunteers to help local families achieve their dream of homeownership and to learn more about the extraordinary works happening locally to provide affordable housing.
Volunteers will work on the construction of five new homes located on Silver Drive in Baraboo. These homes are a part of the Mutual Self-Help Housing program and were funded in partnership with a grant from the United States Department (USDA) Rural Development.
Volunteers don’t need to commit to the entire time and are welcome to come and go as needed. Refreshments and a picnic dinner will be provided to.
No construction experience is required to volunteer. A Habitat supervisor will always be on hand to provide assistance and instructions.
Tips for volunteers:
- Wear old clothing Shirts must be worn at all times and no offensive language on shirts
- Wear sturdy closed-toed shoes
- Bring sunscreen and bug spray
- Bring work gloves
All volunteers are required to sign a Release of Waiver and Liability form prior to beginning any work.
For more information on the Community Workday contact HFHSCA at (608) 448-2888 or NHS at (608) 647-4949.
The USDA Rural Development Mutual Self-Help Housing program aids low income families to finance and build their own homes through “sweat equity.” The Program organizes families to cooperatively work in groups. The families provide 65 percent of the construction labor on their own and each other’s homes under qualified supervision. The savings from the reduction in labor costs allows otherwise ineligible families to become homeowners.
Since 2003, HFHSCA has constructed 15 homes. Habitat for Humanity homes are simple, decent, homes built without frills that cost between $60,000 and $105,000 to build. The average mortgage payment is between $500 – $775, including taxes and insurance. The construction program is designed to assist families and individuals that would not be able to own their own home in any other way.
