RED LION, Pennsylvania — More than 100 women from 14 different organizations are rolling up their sleeves in York County to build new homes for their neighbors.
This is all part of "Women Build Week," which kicked of this week with York Habitat for Humanity.
This year, volunteers are working on a duplex on East High Street in Red Lion. The previous homes on this site were destroyed by a fire in 2021, leaving 10 people without a place to live.
Friends and Neighbors of Pennsylvania Incorporated (F&N) is one of the organizations that has women volunteers helping on-site.
F&N's Executive Director, Robin Shearer, shared, "the need for safe, affordable, stable housing is huge. And a lot of times, we women are not looked at as being able to do this. It reinforces what we can do, that we're a part of the community. And that we all play a part in this. But it brings so many of us together. I think that's really vital."
By the end of this summer, two York Habitat families will get to move into their new homes.
Executive Director of York Habitat for Humanity, Natasha Kukorlo, explained that in order to become a Habitat homeowner, you've got to go through 12 to 18 months of financial literacy courses, volunteer at the build sites and have monthly budget counseling.
"For these two homeowners, these are two single months, they work full-time, they take care of their children, and they're completing over 50 hours of educational courses throughout the time that they're in the program. But they all do it because they want a better life for themselves and their children," Kukorlo said.
The project began last year and has made a lot of progress, volunteers are now working on the interior of the homes - sanding and painting walls.
It's work that means a lot to the volunteers and to the soon-to-be homeowners.
"They are willing to give up their day, come out on site, learn new skills, do things they've never done before, a lot of it is really hard work," Kukorlo said.
And because so many women wanted to help during this year's Women Build Week, they extended the initiation from one week to two.