WTL Wrap-Up: “The Power of Women Build”

Ronnette Owens, Ann and Monica Mitchell

Nothing inspires me more than hearing stories of people who are taking action to change their lives, to make them better, and/or to accomplish some goal.  During the Olympics, I loved the stories that were shared about individual athletes – their personal struggles and what they had to overcome to become champions.  So, needless to say, I love having someone share her story of hope and determination with me on the show.   And, that’s just what happened last week.

One of my guests was Ronnette Owens, a single mom with three children who has been living in public housing.  Ronnette had a dream and went for it.  Someone encouraged her to apply for a Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake home and that’s what she did.  And, not only did she get accepted into the program, her new home became the project for the Habitat Women Build program – and that means women are building Ronnette’s new home!

Also, joining us was the dynamic Monica Mitchell, who fell in love with the concept of Women Build when she attended a Habitat groundbreaking ceremony earlier this year.  In fact, she became the Membership Chair for the Women Build program to enlist other women to help build Ronnette’s new home.  What a perfect job for Monica since she serves as President of Wells Fargo’s Team Member Volunteer Chapter where she is responsible for coordinating group community service participation and community development outreach for Wells Fargo’s 4000+ Maryland team members.

One of the biggest things I learned about the Habitat for Humanity program is that they are not giving away homes for free.  Responsibility comes with a Habitat home.  After the potential homeowner is accepted into the program, there are many requirements she must live up to including pre- and post-purchase planning and support, financial and homebuyer education, several hundred hours of “sweat equity”, and the ability to pay an interest-free mortgage.

We discussed the overwhelming need for affordable housing in our area – especially for single moms in the Central Maryland area whose paychecks don’t cover it all.  When rent can take up a sizable portion of the paycheck, little is left for basic needs like food on the table, buying new clothes and covering medical care.

Always looking for those who want to give back and help change lives and communities, Monica shared how people can become involved with the Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake Women Build program.  In fact, Tori, my producer, and I plan on picking up our hammers and using some of the skills we’ve learned from our own ToolBox TomGirl, Jo Ellen Soesbee, the WomanTalk Live DIY Expert – who just happens to be very involved in the Women Build project, too.

Ronnette has the ribbon-cutting ceremony for her home on December 7th and a new chapter begins in her and her children’s lives.  And, the Women Build program moves forward to encourage more women to come together to inspire, revitalize and take action.

If you missed the show or you want to share it with a friend, it’s in the podcast archive now – the October 27th show.