Several female volunteers and employees of Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter are taking part in a global effort with Habitat for Humanity International, Lowe’s, and some 6,000 women volunteers in more than 235 U.S. communities, India and Canada for the International Women Build Week, which runs through March 8.

The event is to highlight the worldwide need for safe and affordable housing.

On March 4, the local crew installed some wood siding and painted the exterior of a Habitat house under construction in Eustis at 56 W. St. Louis Ave., with site supervisor Ernie Burley guiding the way and teaching new volunteers how to use different tools.

“It’s so cool to pop out a new skill every once in a while,” says Shari McCray, a homeowner and marketing manager for Habitat of Humanity of Lake-Sumter, who recalls the first time she learned to use a circular saw. “It’s intimidating at first, and when you see it and think, ‘oh, my fingers!’ But it is really neat at the end of the day when you’re pumping out those boards.”

Her colleague Lacie Himes found it fun to learn the skills to frame a house. “I’ve really learned to feel confident using a hammer and I walked away feeling like ‘I could build my own house! I could do this!’”

A much bigger Women Build is planned in May in Leesburg, and women in Lake and Sumter County are invited to gather their friends and colleagues to take part the May build by first attending the Pink Champagne Kickoff Party to be hosted 5-7pm March 20 at Leesburg Center for the Arts, 429 W. Magnolia St., Leesburg.

To learn more, visit habitatls.org or call Lacie at 352.483.0434, ext. 146. She also can be reached at Lacie@HabitatLS.org.