Spring 1997 Newsletter

Formatting Update: July, 1998

Women Building for Humanity

After a successful 1996 Women's Work Week the ladies are at it again, this time taking on an entire house. Seattle Habitat for Humanity (SHfH) is proud to announce the beginning of our first home designed and constructed entirely by women.

The Women Building for Humanity (WBH) home will be the first of three homes to be built on SHfH's newly acquired Shoreline site. The site is located on the south side of NE 175th Street between 5th and 8th Ave NE. The women will celebrate their groundbreaking on May 31st at 10a.m.

The project, headed by Kathleen Petrie, Project Manager, is well under way. The site and house are being designed by a team of women from the Association for Women in Architecture (AWA). It features a flexible floor plan within the four bedroom, two story design to allow versatility for the changing family dynamic.

Karla Forsbeck, leader of the AWA team, says that the women will face a lot of challenges designing this home to be flexible and still meet HfHI guidelines. For example, they will use a new roof truss system to give the family additional storage space, the utility room will double as a mud room entrance from the back yard and the fourth bedroom will have double doors which, when open, will give added space to the living room.

WBH is launching a fund-raising campaign, kicking off with a Mother's Day Card sale. Donors can buy a card and make the donation in their mother's name. It is a fantastic way to make a difference in honor of the significant women in our lives.

There are plenty of opportunities for women to get involved with construction or with the many vital behind-the-scenes committees according to Petrie. "We need assistance with fund raising, volunteer coordination, office assistance, event planning as well as all areas of construction - there is a place for every woman!" says Petrie. To become a part of the house call the WBH Hotline at 804-2344. You can get meeting information, put your name on the mailing list and order Mother's Day donation cards.