Local Women Building Home For Habitat for Humanity
 Greylock employees got their hands dirty on Wednesday as they began the process of building a porch on the Goodman Lane home. |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Rosie the Riveter would be proud.
This week about 100 local women are volunteering their time to help build a home for the Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity. Sponsored by Lowe's Home Improvement and Habitat for Humanity, Women Build has brought together women from various sectors of the county to get their hands dirty to help a first-time homeowner.
"It is really about giving women confidence," said Carolyn Valli, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity's executive director. "It has kind of energized women to take leadership roles."
Lowes in Hudson, N.Y., provided training for team leaders earlier this year, giving the women hands-on experience with power tools they may not have used before.
"They showed you how to use each of these things and get practice. They didn't just demo it," said Susan Slattery, Habitat's outreach coordinator. "It is empowering to use all of these tools."
On Wednesday, about a dozen Greylock Federal Credit Union employees spent their day working on the Goodman Lane home. The Greylock employees began building a porch.
Wednesday was the second of five days dedicated to having women do the work.
"We have people from Greylock Insurance Agency as well as the credit union. We tried to get different departments," said Maureen Phillips, assistant vice president of mortgage lending. "I think a lot of people want to help but they don't know what to do. So, they wait to be asked."
And when Phillips asked those who worked with Greylock if they wanted to help, many jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, not everyone could participate because the branches still need to be staffed. Meanwhile, for each of the participants, Greylock donated $100 to the organization — totaling about $1,000.
This is the third year the local Habitat for Humanity has hosted a Women Build but the first in which they received a $5,000 grant to expand it. For the last three years, employees at Guardian Life Insurance has been spending a day working with the organization. They'll again be back on May 21st.
With the grant, Habitat has brought on many more organizations into the fold. The first day, on May 3, was for women in business. Wednesday was the second for women in banking.
 The employees represented a cross section of the company. |
On Thursday, women in leadership positions will be working on the home and on Saturday women in community, including state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Theresa Bianchi and Pamela Malumphy. Also on Saturday, students from Miss Hall's school and the Lenox ski team will be joining. Guardian rounds out this year's program.
Valli says she wants women to build a complete house next year.
The Goodman Lane home is the 27th Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity has built. It will be the home of Shamika Mungin and her 6-year-old son.
"I know the family going into this house, so it is special," Phillips said.
Mungin, 26, is current working full time, taking classes at Berkshire Community College and raising her son. She didn't really know how to go about becoming a homeowner but wanted to get out of Section 8 housing. Fitting in requirements for the Habitat, she went through the homeowner programs the organization requires and has been putting in the "sweat equity" needed.
In July, Valli will be turning the keys over to Mungin of the home currently being built.
Tags: Greylock Federal, habitat for humanity, women in business,
