MOBILE, Ala. — Hard hats, hammers and a whole lot of determination: Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama is calling on women from across the area to come together and build a home for a deserving local family.
The organization is launching Women Build 2026, a community-wide effort that invites teams, sponsors and individual volunteers to help construct Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama’s 242nd home. Teams have already begun organizing, and Habitat expects to break ground on the build next spring.
Launch event set for Oct. 29
Women who want to learn more can attend a launch event on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Habitat’s offices at 3712 Airport Boulevard in Mobile. At the event, participants can learn how to get involved, including how to:
- Organize a team of their own
- Join an existing team
- Become a sponsor
- Volunteer in a variety of other ways
Resources will also be available to guide participants through fundraising, earning incentives and, when the time comes, simply rolling up their sleeves on the build site. The team that raises the most money will have the honor of presenting the keys to the new homeowner at the Women Build dedication ceremony.
‘Change lives, one house at a time’
Courtney Rouse-Heinz, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama, said the organization is excited to bring back the program after a break of several years.
“Over the past 38 years, it has been our honor to help improve the lives of so many families in our community by providing them with decent, affordable housing,” Rouse-Heinz said. “It has been a few years since our last Women Build, so we are excited to come together and change lives, one house at a time.”
No experience necessary
Organizers want to make one thing clear: nobody needs to know how to swing a hammer before signing up.
“Don’t worry about not having any construction experience,” Rouse-Heinz said. “Our expert staff is on hand at all times to provide instructions and any tools you might need.”
Habitat builds are designed to welcome volunteers of all skill levels. Construction staff guide volunteers through each task, from framing walls and installing siding to painting and landscaping, and safety instruction is part of every build day. For many participants, learning new skills alongside friends, co-workers or church members is part of the appeal.
Women in charge
The Women Build movement encourages women to come together, have fun and make a difference by raising funds and swinging hammers to build homes. It emphasizes women working side by side toward a shared mission and a positive impact on their community.
Men are welcome to join in, too, as teammates, supporters, sponsors and volunteers. But as Habitat puts it: remember, women are in charge.
Women Build programs have been used by Habitat affiliates across the country to rally women volunteers, build camaraderie and raise the money needed to fund a home. The format lends itself to teams from workplaces, civic clubs, churches, sororities, schools and groups of friends, each raising money and scheduling build days together.
How Habitat homeownership works
Habitat for Humanity works with families who need decent, affordable housing and who are willing to partner in the process. Habitat homeowners are not simply given a house. They typically contribute “sweat equity” hours, working on their own home and on other Habitat projects, and they purchase their homes with an affordable mortgage.
That model means every dollar raised and every hour volunteered during Women Build goes toward helping a local family achieve the stability of homeownership. For the family who receives the keys, the home can mean a safe place to raise children, a foundation for building financial security and a lasting connection to the volunteers who helped build it.
Why affordable housing matters
Across the country and here on the Gulf Coast, rising home prices, insurance costs and rents have made it harder for many working families to find housing they can afford. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama help fill that gap by pairing volunteer labor, donations and partnerships with families ready to become homeowners.
Over its 38-year history, Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama has helped families across the region achieve homeownership. The Women Build home will be the organization’s 242nd.
How to get involved
Anyone interested in participating in Women Build 2026, whether as a team captain, team member, sponsor or volunteer, is encouraged to attend the Oct. 29 launch event at 3712 Airport Boulevard or contact Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Alabama for more information.
With teams already organizing and a groundbreaking planned for next spring, organizers say now is the time to start recruiting teammates, planning fundraisers and getting ready to build. As Habitat’s leaders put it, the goal is simple: help make another woman’s dream of homeownership come true.