Owensboro-Daviess County’s Habitat for Humanity works year-round to build homes for some of the highest-need families and individuals in the community. On Saturday, Habitat for Humanity kicked off their 11th annual Women’s Build event, in which women construction leaders from across the state and local area team together to begin the building process for Habitat’s newest home.
In Owensboro, the annual Women’s Build is something Executive Director Virginia Braswell takes great pride in.
“We’ll have a special ground blessing, and then we’re having a pre-build where local women will come from 9-12,” Braswell said of Saturday’s event. “We’ll have local women come out and set walls for the home and frame the whole house.”
The house on Parkdale Dr. that these women are building will be built for a family of seven — a mother, father and their five children, Braswell said. While most Habitat homes are built for families, Braswell said they look at a variety of circumstances when determining who to build homes for.
While Habitat for Humanity rarely builds homes for individuals, one of the organization’s most recent developments was built for a person with a mental disability.
“We don’t usually do that,” Braswell said. “Last year, out of the blue, the Lord sent us enough money to build an entire home. A woman passed away. We didn’t know her personally, but we knew of her. Last year she sent us $25,000. Someone told us, ‘You may have more coming.’ And sure enough, we did. We received another $60,000. She left that money to Habitat for Humanity.”
A partnership with the City of Owensboro Community Development department has also been a blessing for Habitat for Humanity, Braswell said. A grant from community development provided another $35,000 to go toward the aforementioned home. Partnerships with Wells Fargo have also helped the organization, including a recent $15,000 donation, along with a group of volunteers willing to work.
U.S. Bank also assisted Habitat for Humanity on Tuesday and Wednesday by sending two teams out to help raise walls for another new home on Jackson St.
“Our Women’s Build is totally funded,” Braswell said. “We are so blessed to have things come together.”
