BUILDING HOUSES…TRANSFORMING LIVES

Since 1990, Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County has impacted tens of thousands of families in South Palm Beach County through their core mission components of Home Construction, Neighborhood Revitalization, Habitat ReStores, and multi-faceted Volunteer Programs ranging from individual volunteers to Corporate Team Builds.

In 1991, a group of women in Charlotte, N.C., completed the first women-built Habitat for Humanity house. With this event, the seeds for Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program were planted.

In South Palm Beach County, Florida WOMEN BUILD 2019 was held May 9 -11. in the days leading up to Mother’s Day, showcasing the power of empowered women leaders who join together to raise funds and actually build and revitalize homes for hard-working families. National Women Build Week offers an opportunity for women to come together, learn construction skills and make a positive impact in the lives of people in their communities.

This year they literally “raised the roof” on a new home and revitalized three neighboring homes and a community asset: Missionary Baptist Church.

Among those participating this year was Marta Batmasian, co-owner with her husband, Jim, of Investments Limited, one of the country’s premier real estate organizations, which has a geographically diversified portfolio of commercial properties and residential communities. Marta is certainly no stranger to construction and renovation of properties. Back when she and Jim first started in real estate in suburban Boston, they spent countless hours working on houses that they purchased. Hands-on by nature, Marta can do just about everything except for plumbing and electrical. “Things like that I prefer to leave to the experts”, she says with a laugh, “but I do love painting and working with different colors and contrasts because it allows me to be creative”. This year she got to do just that as part of Habitat’s “Brush with Kindness” revitalization of homes to deliver a Women Build “Block of Impact”, raising brushes and climbing ladders to cover homes with more than 120 gallons of primer and paint in inviting shades of
buttercream, sage, ecru and soothing sky blue accents. Marta says “It is wonderful to be a part of the ‘Sisterhood of the Pink Hard Hats’ and I can’t wait for next year”.

Raising more than $322,000 to underwrite the cost of construction materials for the Habitat home, the women participating literally spanned three generations. There is a tremendous camaraderie that develops when you bring a group of strong women together for a purpose.

The program continues to grow across international borders, empowering women everywhere to address poverty housing for themselves, their families and their neighbors.