Women Build Day for Habitat for Humanity Peninsula

Women Build Day for Habitat for Humanity Peninsula

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Bottles of cold water and "Women Build" hats were the most popular commodities at the Habitat for Humanity site on Teach Street in Hampton on Thursday.

Those reliefs from the day's soaring temperatures made it easier for workers participating in the special Women Build Day to nail on siding and construct a deck on the two-story house.

"Nail it right there," said Paul Williams, a Habitat construction supervisor, pointing to a spot.

Alexis Swann followed his instructions, and then stood back to admire what she had just done.

"That's not so hard," said Swann, president-elect of the Habitat board and a volunteer from Wells Fargo/Wachovia.

Yesterday's workers, including Newport News Councilwoman Tina Vick, state Sen. Mamie Locke and Del. Mamye BaCote, were part of more than 200 construction crews of women volunteers nationwide that pounded nails at Habitat building sites in all 50 states as part of National Women Build Week. Other public officials laboring at the Hampton home were Newport News Councilwoman Madeline McMillan and Del. Jeion Ward.

"That hammering is hard," said Ward, who worked on the deck's support structure.

"My husband makes it look so easy," said Brenda Harkness, a York County resident on the Habitat board.

Indoors, Pearlean Brooks, who will move into the 1,376-square-foot home when it's finished in July, was sweeping up sawdust in one of three upstairs bedrooms. Her daughter, Mariah, and 5-month-old grandson, Armond, will live with her.

Brooks, who has worked for five years in the dining room at the College of William and Mary, has put in 381 of her required 400 "sweat equity" hours. As part of that requirement, she's worked construction days on the house, as well as dusted and stocked shelves at the ReStore, Habitat's building materials retail site in the Hilton Shopping Center in Newport News.

"I sweep, keep things cleaned up, little things to make it a little more organized," she says.

In addition to those hours, Brooks has taken classes on budgeting and household maintenance. She has good credit and an income that falls near the median income for this area. Lowe's and other building partners paid for the house with donations, but Brooks will make monthly, no-interest mortgage payments to Habitat for 30 years so the money can be used to build more homes.

"It's a nice way to give back," she says. "We can help one another."

Brooks' home is one of 117 houses Habitat Peninsula has completed since its creation in 1985. Structures lately are green, Earth Craft certified with blown-in cellulose insulation and other energy-efficiency features. Locally, Habitat tries to build 10 homes a year; five houses in Newport News, Hampton and James City County are in various building stages now.

This will be Brooks' first time owning a home and she couldn't be happier. Mariah and Armond have picked out their room colors but Brooks is taking her time, enjoying each day for what it is. She just knows she can do what she likes when she wants to, once she uses those keys to unlock her house for the first time.

"I'll take my time decorating," she says. "I like to keep it simple."

Women lend a helping hand duri

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