The CMBA recently partnered with Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity as a “Roof Raiser” $2000 sponsor for Women Build Week, August 14-19, 2006. CMBA President Jeff Brekken presented the check to Habitat for Humanity at the March 10th Chamber Connection event which kicked off the CMBA Home Show, where Habitat sponsored a booth. The Women Build Task Force is looking for additional volunteers, construction supervisors, as well as financial and material sponsors for the project.

During Women Build Week, 330 women will work together on the construction of three Habitat homes in St. Cloud. The Women Build Week will take place at the location of Habitat’s new neighborhood building project on 33rd Street South, where they will construct nine town homes in the next two years. The CMBA joins other community groups including Bremer Bank, EICH Motors, Creative Memories, Gray Plant Mooty, and the Women’s Fund, who are financially supporting the project’s fundraising goal of $85,000 which will assist with construction costs and to underwrite Women Build Week. In 2007, the Women Build Task Force intends to raise funds to construction an entire Habitat home.

The August event is the third Women Build event and is an event that is truly built on the momentum of community support. On June 11th, 2005, Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build Task Force held its first Women Build Day in St. Cloud where 59 women volunteered on morning and afternoon shifts on the construction of the first Habitat Twin Home in St. Cloud on 13th Street South. After the success and public demand from the first project, the Women Build Task Force organized two other Women Build Days on October 6th and 7th where 50 women volunteered for two mornings at the site of the second Twin Home. “It was a gratifying success,” said Lisa Olmscheid of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, who Co-Chairs the Women Build Task Force along with Lori Reinert of Showcase Properties. The purpose of Women Build is to create an empowering construction site experience for women to work together to build homes and to address the affordable housing crisis nationwide as well as in Central Minnesota.

“Women Build celebrates what women together can accomplish in regards to ending the affordable housing crisis,” said Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity Resource Development Manager Anne Walters. “We are very grateful to all of the CMBA members who are already supporting the project with in-kind donation materials. It really helps us continue our mission of building homes and building hope in Central Minnesota.”

As a “Roof Raiser,” the CMBA has chosen Thursday, August 17th as their day to sponsor one of the three homes under construction. “Roof Raisers” are recognized in all event marketing and advertising including radio spots, event programs, posters, T-shirts, and house signs.

A “Roof Raiser” sponsorship level is $2,000--11,999, with other sponsorships at these levels:

• Community Builders $1,000-1,999
• Good Neighbors $500-400
• Foundation Builders $100-499
• Hope Builders Up to $99
• Creative Memories and the Women’s Fund are the two event’s Dream Realizers with sponsorships of $12,000 each.

The Women Build Task Force is also looking for other types of support from the CMBA membership. “We are looking for CMBA members to volunteer that day,” said Diane Willenbring, volunteer Women Build Task Force member. The number of volunteers is important as Women Build Task Force Co-Chair Lisa Olmscheid is coordinating an application to the Wells Fargo Foundation for a grant of $45,000 towards the homes. “Wells Fargo recognizes the importance of responding to the needs of the local communities where we live and work,” Lisa Olmscheid said. “We need to have 10 volunteers per 1 Wells Fargo employee per volunteer shift. This means if we have 10 volunteers in the morning (per house) and 10 volunteers in the afternoon per house, we need 30 in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. The mission of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation is to provide resources to non profit organizations and to Wells Fargo team members to meet the local homeownership needs of low-to-moderate-income people in Wells Fargo communities nationwide.”

To qualify for a Wells Fargo Foundation grant, the Women Build Task Force needs 10 women working on each of the three homes throughout the week with the goal of 330 women total. “We are also looking for CMBA members to serve as construction supervisors for the morning and afternoon shifts August 14-19th.” At the October Women Build, Diane Willenbring organized the construction supervisors for the project. Art Buhs Construction, Willenbring Construction, Don Girtz Construction, and Dale Gruber Construction all donated their time as volunteer site supervisors.

In addition to supervisors, the Women Build Task Force is looking for continued financial support and in kind donation materials for the construction of the three Habitat home. “We’ve had a lot of suppliers from the CMBA stepping up to help us with In Kind Donations for the tri-home project, and we are looking for more support as well!” CMBA member and Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity volunteer board member Art Buhs is the Chair of the St. Cloud Area Habitat for Humanity In Kind Donations Task Force, which will focus on building relationships for local suppliers and building vendors.

To support the Women Build Project as a CMBA volunteer, site supervisor, or financial or materials contributor

• Please contact CMBA and Women Build Task Force member Diane Willenbring at 320-249-1786
• Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity Resource Development Manager Anne Walters at the Habitat Service Center at 320-656-8890.
• Lastly, if you are interested in volunteering with the St. Cloud Area Habitat for Humanity In Kind Donations Task Force, please call Art Buhs at 320-255-0990.
• For additional information, please visit the Habitat web-site www.centralminnesotahabitat.org.