2013 Day 4 – Women’s Build. Millie’s on the NEWS!

Starting Friday, more than 10,000 women across the country will lift up hammers and drills and help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. It’s part of the seventh annual Women’s Build Week, sponsored by Habitat and Lowe’s.

One jobsite is located in Pascagoula. Lowe’s employees were part of Friday’s mission.

“For me, I like to help any way I can,” employee Monique Stewart said. “And for a company to put up so much effort to help the community that’s in need, to me that’s a big thing.”

Several volunteers from Keesler were here to lend a helping hand, including Major Sandy McDonald.  

“As active duty Air Force members, we always try and participate in community activities and so we decided to come out and spend a little time with Habitat for Humanity,” McDonald explained.

The women are also making a spiritual connection on this day.  Millie Liao is from the Evergreen Church of California.   

“Evergreen’s been sending teams each year just to love on the people here, to show people the Lord’s love for them, and to bless the people who come in and inhabit these houses,” Liao said. “It really provides a home for them, you know, it’s more than a building.” 

All the volunteers working on this Habitat project say the same thing. They get a personal feeling of fulfillment from helping out a community in need, but they also gain something else that they can use later in life. 

“It’s actually hands on, learning how to properly swing a hammer, and learning how to use the drill, learning how to use the saw,” said Adele Lyons with Habitat for Humanity. “Just becoming very familiar and comfortable with those tools that they can use later on their own without help from anybody else.” 

As part of the program, Lowe’s has donated more than $1.7 million to Habitat projects across the country the past seven years.