Black Hills Habitat for Humanity celebrates Women Build day

It was all girl power Saturday serving the community to provide affordable housing.

Black Hills Habitat for Humanity hosted their annual National Women Build Week.

Debbie Pack, resource development director says, "Well the idea was to bring women together to advocate for affordable housing, to learn new construction skills, and empowerment really."

It was ladies only working construction on the Garfield Green project for Black Hills Habitat for Humanity Saturday.

Pack says, "Well this project just called Garfield Green and we've been working on this project for over five years, putting this together. we plan to serve 8 families in these homes so they're single family homes, different floor plans 2 to 3 bedrooms floor plans, and I hope to see them start to move in probably this fall."

Many of the house that the ladies were constructing today will go to other strong women.

Marie Zephier, partner family says, "I'm actually earning my hours for Habitat for Humanity partnership program I'm a partner family. So I earn my 250 sweat equity hours then I can actually own a home."

And having a home as a single mother can be a huge weight off of a woman's shoulders.

Zephier says, "I'm finally going to have this stability that I've always do and a place that I can call home just my own."

Many of the women out volunteering today have equally as powerful stories.

Klea Scharberg, volunteer says, "I had breast cancer and surgery and I had to come down here for radiation from Custer and the treatments take about 15 minutes so I had all this day left so I thought have volunteer for someone and I picked Habitat for Humanity."

The build will continue next Saturday and anyone can join in to help the community ... no construction experience necessary.

Pack says," I look forward to it every single year and I know the ladies do too. We have women that have been on this build for 10 years in a row. They come out every year because they get so excited about it. It's a great opportunity."