Local 'Women Build' group starts Habitat home for young family
<p>Shelly Donovan, executive officer with the North Idaho Building Contractors Association, uses a level as a group of volunteers secure a wall Wednesday during the construction of a home in Post Falls during Women Build Week for Habitat for Humanity.</p>
<p>Lea Williams, a real estate agent with Tomlinson Sotheby’s, peeks out from between wall studs after raising a framed outside wall. Williams has been a volunteer with the Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Week for about five years.</p>
<p>Katrina Boyer, volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity, writes a message reading “May all your dreams become your memories here” on the sub-floor of the Post Falls construction project.</p>
POST FALLS - A group of about 50 women helped build the American dream for a young family that will move into a Habitat for Humanity home.
As part of Habitat's nationwide initiative called Women Build Week, the women framed the home on 15th Street next to Post Falls Middle School for Austin and Amanda Williamson and their 17-month-old daughter, Becca.
"I'm left-handed and blonde, so stay away from me," volunteer Paula Perry told other women volunteers prior to going to work. "With it being a great cause, it makes it more fun."
Volunteer Tammy VanBrunt said she was "a little nervous" at first because she hadn't performed such work, but a tutorial by Lowe's, a sponsor of the program, helped ease those nerves.
Other volunteers are veterans at this construction thing.
"It's always exciting to partner with Habitat for Humanity," said Angela Erickson, who has worked on multiple Habitat homes as a member of the North Idaho Building Contractors Association.
Lea Williams was she loved seeing the Williamson family during the campaign's launch.
"That was extremely rewarding," Williams said.
Both Austin and Amanda have already logged 100 "sweat equity" hours toward the home. By the time it's finished, both will have put in 250 hours.
The women volunteers didn't utilize power tools without oversight. Greg Nowak is serving as the project supervisor. The Women Build portion of the home wraps up today.
"When they have a nail gun in their hand it makes me a little nervous, so I just get behind them," Nowak said with a laugh.
On a more serious note, Nowak said: "I look forward to this every year. Women do just as good of a job as guys do. They may not be as fast, but at the end of the day, all the walls go up the same. You just have to be patient because they're not builders."
Nowak said having fun during the project is a necessity.
"If we're not having fun, we might as well go home," he said. "But I've never had a bad day out here yet."
Several women wrote messages on the unfinished floor to the Williamson family.
The family has been staying with Amanda's brother in the interim and formerly lived in an apartment. Both are attending college and Austin is working as a certified nursing assistant. The two have been married for two years and met at Scarywood, the haunted showcase at Silverwood Theme Park.
When they move in, the couple will obtain a zero-interest home loan. The home will be completed in two to three months.
"It's a huge opportunity for us to have a home and create more memories of Becca," Amanda said. "She can have a place to stay."
Austin added: "You can't ask for much more than this."