Habitat for Humanity brings women together for community improvement

Habitat for Humanity builds affordable homes for low-income families. The nonprofit held a Women’s Build Project bringing women together for volunteer work building several homes in the Santa Cruz Southwest neighborhood.Several volunteers put in work Friday and Saturday for the cause. Samantha Beck brought her daughter Raechel. “I like to achieve things. I like to see an end to it, so that’s been great, too. To actually step back and say ‘Wow,’ we all did that together,” said Beck.Beck owns her own business now, and wanted to show her daughter the hard work it takes. “I came from a single-parent home and I’m very blessed to be where I’m at in my life but I’ve worked hard to get her. So I want her to see how to keep working hard and to be a part of the community,” she said.It’s Auqae Grant’s job to bring in similar volunteers. She said she looks for people that are looking to give greater meaning to great causes.“I’m actually a single mom myself of three boys, and I’m just really passionate about being apart of that change that I want to see,” she said.Amy Reichgott is the Habitat for Humanity Director of Philanthropy. She describes the change Grant referred to.“Habitat for Humanity uses this event to draw attention to the fact that there is a wealth gap between women and men,” said Reichgott. She said the majority of their home buyers are single moms.Reichgott tells me Habitat has been working to bring more homes to the Tucson area, and a new facility will help homes get built faster and easier. She said this will also serve as a training center to bring in more jobs and skills to the community.