Habitat for Humanity's Women Build 2024 empowers women to construct homes, transform lives
CHICAGO – What was once a vacant lot at the corner of 72nd Street and South University Avenue is turning into a dream come true for Adrienne McCue.
“It kind of hits you. Everything is going to change and you’re going to be able to do everything you’re going to be able to do – a garden that I want to do, cook in the kitchen that I want to cook in,” McCue, a first time homeowner, said.
With hard hats on and tools in hand, women volunteers joined forces with Habitat For Humanity for Women Build 2024.
“Every year we bring women together in community, not only to build homes with us, but to raise money toward the mission in building homes as well as to shine the light on inequities that women face in lending to this day,” Executive Director of Habitat For Humanity Chicago Jennifer Parks said.
Four homes under construction in Greater Grand Crossing are part of Habitat’s Affordable Home Ownership Program.
Soon-to-be homeowners like McCue are required to help with construction and take classes about homeownership before moving in early 2025.
“I’ve been renting for years and years, so this is going to be our first home. So we’re excited,” McCue said.
During Women Build, hundreds of women, including HGTV producer and Chicago native Kyra Epps, who understands the importance of helping women become homeowners, are lending a hand. Part of Epps’ drive to help comes from remembering what it felt like when she moved into her first house growing up.
“Grew up on low income housing on Chicago’s West Side, and I’ll never forget the day when we moved out of our low income apartment and my mom was like, we’re getting our first house,” Epps said. “She painted the dining room yellow. I was like, ‘Mom, why did you paint this yellow?’ and she was like, ‘We’re free. We can do whatever we want.'”
Englewood Barbie, who has helped connect hundreds of unhoused Chicagoans to resources is also making a mark on this project. Epps refers to them as “the friends.”
“Even though you don’t build the whole house, you helped, and we need to start helping each other more and it’s just one of those things where it gives people the opportunity to see what real help looks like,” one Englewood Barbie community activist said.
Along with putting hard work in, the women on site Saturday also took some time to write some words of encouragement inside of the new homes.
“I knew I was going to cry because seeing all the women doing such great work,” McCue said.
Anyone women out there looking to get their hands and feet a little dirty for a good cause with Habitat For Humanity can click here for more information. Women Build will wrap on Saturday, Oct. 26.
