LOUDON (WATE) – Loudon County Habitat for Humanity began construction on its 46th home in the Hope Haven neighborhood near Loudon Elementary School.

For the next 18 weeks, volunteers with Women Build will help build a new home for a family in need. Women Build is a national partnership between Lowe’s Home Improvement and Habitat for Humanity with a purpose to raise awareness regarding the barriers women face in the workforce and with securing affordable homes.

“Women build the house from the ground, all the way through the roof and everything in between,” said Tony Gibbons, the executive director of Loudon County Habitat for Humanity. “We want to bring awareness to the challenges and the barriers that women face in terms of affordable housing.”

A group of women spent Wednesday getting their hands dirty.

“We’re cleaning up the bottom, getting all the rock out so we can put a vapor barrier down there to keep mold and moisture out of the home,” said Donna Boshaw.

Boshaw is volunteering for the first time and she’s willing to do the hard work. Her effort, along with the other women, will surely be appreciated by the Brown family, who will be receiving the home in December.

Gibbons adds, “They’re in a terrible situation with their current living conditions.”

Soon enough, the single dad and three young children will be able to call a new place home.

Boshaw said, “These little kids need a good home that they can live in and play with other kids.”

Crews will be hard at work the next couple of months because they want to finish up by Christmas time. The goal is to make the home look like the 45 other properties in the Hope Haven community.

“In just about a week and a half we’re going to be raising the walls and get the house underway,” said Gibbons.

Once it’s completed, volunteers look forward to seeing the family move in.

If you would like to help, you can volunteer for a day, a few days or throughout the project whenever work spots are available.

Area women are urged to contact Loudon Habitat’s volunteer coordinator, Sammie Shanks, at sammie@loudoncountyhabitat.org or 865-640-5578 to participate.

Donations toward the build can be sent to:

Loudon County Habitat for Humanity Women Build
238 Hwy. 70 W
Lenoir City, TN 37771.