In the days leading up to Mother’s Day, local women volunteers along with employees and management from Lowe's are taking up tools and building materials to work on the Elembo family’s new home. A wall raising celebration will be held Saturday, May 8, at 9 a.m. at 2534 NW 48th Street in Lincoln.

More than 60 women volunteers and fellow ROTC Cadets and classmates of the Lincoln homeowner's son, have signed up to raise the walls for the Women Build house. Working alongside them will be Rose Elembo, a single mother who will make this her home with her five children.

Construction will continue throughout the summer months each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The Lincoln crew is one of more than 200 construction crews of women volunteers across the country who are pounding nails and raising walls at Habitat for Humanity construction sites in all 50 states in recognition of National Women Build Week, May 1 – 9. Elembo represents the disproportionate number of poverty level households headed by women.

"This project helps women learn valuable skills in the construction field that may allow them to move into well-paying, non-traditional professions," explains Phyllis Larsen, a long time volunteer and member of Lincoln Habitat's Board of Directors.

A $5,000 Lowe’s store gift card and in-store volunteer training, contributions from the Teresa Farnsworth Wittmann Trust, Teledyde Isco, and mortgage payments from other Habitat homeowners have made this project possible.

Developed through the partnership between Lowe’s and Habitat for Humanity, National Women Build Week challenges women to devote one day to the effort to eliminate poverty housing. The event is an initiative of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program, underwritten by Lowe’s, which recruits, educates and nurtures women to build and advocate for simple, decent and affordable houses in their communities.

Nationwide, Lowe’s committed more than $1 million to National Women Build Week, providing grants and event support materials to 200 participating affiliates. This is a major initiative of Lowe’s five-year, $20 million pledge to Habitat, a commitment including underwriting of the Women Build program, as well as providing construction know-how at in-store clinics and build sites, and funding for a variety of Habitat projects across the country.

“Lowe’s has been the proud sponsor of Habitat’s Women Build program since 2004,” said Larry D. Stone, Lowe’s president and COO and chairman of the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “This innovative program encourages women from all walks of life to pick up their hammers and build homes alongside Habitat partner families. 2010 marks the third anniversary of National Women Build Week. Lowe’s salutes the more than 11,000 engaged women who have volunteered on Habitat jobsites across the U.S. during National Women Build Week to help bring an end to poverty housing.”

Lincoln / Lancaster County Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry. Habitat for Humanity brings together people with resources and people in need to build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership. Since 1988 Lincoln / Lancaster County Habitat for Humanity has worked with more than100 families to build homes in Lancaster County. The homes are then sold to those in need at no profit. For more information, call the Habitat office at 402-477-9184 or click on the link below to go to their website.

Release Courtesy: Lincoln/Lancaster County Habitat for Humanity