Summer 1998 Newsletter

Seattle Habitat Home

Last Update: August, 1998

(It was a very) Happy Mother's Day

by Arlene Bourns

Mother's Day was extra special this year at Seattle Habitat, as the Women's Build Project received over $9,000 in honor gifts. The Women's Project sent out letters to our mailing list, asking them to honor their mother or special person with a gift to Seattle Habitat. The Women included gift cards for donors to send to the honorees.

Women Building for Humanity announces the winners of their latest project, a drawing: Winner of the hand-crafted quilt is Debbie Landeck of Mercer Island. Winners of the bird house and bird book are Shirley and John Pauls of Edmonds. Congratulations to both our winners and to the great folks who purchased tickets in support of this project.

Not only was the monetary response great, but the tributes sent in by donors were eloquent and at times, very emotional. One women honored her mother by saying, "My mother gave me my first set of tools. She taught me to be self-sufficient and self-supporting emotionally too." One honored other members of her family: "My sister and my grandmother mean so much to me. Neither have owned their own home so this is in their honor."

"My mother always taught and showed me that women should always help and honor other women when they can," one donor wrote. One of our Seattle Habitat homeowners sent a gift in honor of "all the women working for Habitat." And one husband paid tribute to his wife when he wrote, "This donation is in honor of my wife who has stayed by me and helped through enough remodels as to cause a divorce! And yet when the dust settled, each time, she was still there."

The Women Building for Humanity home is the first of three homes to be built on the Shoreline site, located on the south side of NE 175th between 5th and 8th Avenues NE. The project is headed by Habitat volunteer Kathleen Petrie and was designed by a team of members of the Association for Women in Architecture.

The Women's Build project has held many fund-raisers such as the Mother's Day appeal. They have recently been helped with generous support by attorney Marcia Mellinger, who is already a house sponsor for one of Seattle Habitat's South Park South houses. They also sponsored a booth at the Northwest Women's Tradeshow in March, which was attended by many interested people.

Construction is underway on the Women's Build House, with volunteers and the future homeowners working each Saturday. There are needs for every part of the process: fundraising, volunteer coordination, office assistance, event planning and all areas of construction. To join this great project, call the Women's Build Hotline, 804-2344.