News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Upper Cumberland Habitat for Humanity has announced the return of The Women Build Program.
The program consists of teams of all women coming together to build a house. Upper Cumberland Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator Mallory Hill said the organization then selects a woman as the recipient of the women-built home.
“The women and children are the most likely to be affected by poor living conditions,” Hill said. “And so I think it is really powerful that we can get women together to help other women in our community and so we like to have specific women builds so that we can offer that opportunity to women in our area.”
The organization has a signup form on its website for women who are interested in participating. Hill said the house will be built on Jake Hoot Drive in Cookeville and the fundraising deadline for the project is January 31.
“We have not started the fundraising for this yet,” Hill said. “We are meeting with the teams in the next couple of weeks and that’s when we are gonna hopefully hit the ground running and the teams can start fundraising.”
Hill said the women who participate in raising funds and building the house feel empowered after completing the project.
“It’s amazing when you look at that house and know that it was solely funded by women in the community,” Hill said. “I think that is a powerful visual.”
Hill said the program is one of many builds the organization does periodically. The last time the Women Build Program built a house in the Upper Cumberland was in 2020. Hill said it is one of the most rewarding things for women to help out another woman in the community who is in need.
