Heels and hammers help build homes

Heels and Hammers: 2015 Women Build event organizers want the fundraiser to draw attention to the fact that "single moms are the largest growing population in need," says Michelle Davis, Habitat for Humanity of Washington County development manager.

She says the majority of Habitat for Humanity homeowners are single moms -- 75 percent nationally and 90 percent in Washington County.

Heels and Hammers

What: Heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, raffles, silent auction, live music

When: 7-10 p.m. June 12

Where: Sassafras Springs Vineyard in Springdale

Tickets: $30 each or $5o for two

Information: (479) 575-9696

The cost of building a Habitat home is approximately $80,000. A partner family puts in hundreds of hours helping build the home, then purchases it at cost from the nonprofit organization by repaying a no-interest mortgage in monthly payments not more than 30 percent of their income. Those payments go back to supporting Habitat for Humanity's mission.

Women Build projects are what Davis calls theme-builds and "give women an opportunity to be a part of the whole process ... This isn't boys against girls. We're not going to kick men off the site," Davis says, but a woman who wants to try her hand at power tools may be less intimidated about trying it on on a mostly female project.

The goal for the 2015 Women Build is to have the walls up in August on a house planned for a single mother with three children. Davis says they're still looking for land to purchase for the planned house in Fayetteville, where the children attend schools. "The cost of land is going up. Finding affordable land in a safe neighborhood is proving to be challenging."

The Heels and Hammers event on June 12 at Sassafras Springs Vineyards in Springdale will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, a silent auction featuring works by area female artists, live music from Leah & the Mojo Doctors and Brick Fields and raffle packages.

-- CARIN SCHOPPMEYER

[email protected]

NAN Our Town on 06/04/2015

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