Lowe’s and Habitat LA Celebrate International Women’s Build Day

Four Lowe's Heroes volunteers installing window frames on a construction site.

Lowe’s Heroes installing window frames.

(above) Lowes Heroes and Habitat LA together for International Women’s Build Day

Forty women from Lowe’s stores around Southern California and two Olympians joined us at our Globe Avenue build site in Culver City on March 8 to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The women who participated in the build day put new roofs on two of the houses, attached insulation panels, installed clapboard siding, and painted fascia boards. The Lowe’s Heroes volunteers worked alongside Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) partner homeowners, Olympic athletes, and social media influencers.

During the lunchtime program, Habitat LA Board member, LeAnne Romesburg, Human Resources Director for Lowe’s, announced that the company would commit $25,000 to Habitat LA’s annual Power Women, Power Tools event, to be held June 8. She said Los Angeles was one of 18 cities worldwide (including Montreal, Canada and Bangalore, India) where Lowe’s and Habitat teamed up to celebrate International Women’s Day.

“I hope this is not your last time volunteering,” she told the crowd, “either with Habitat or another organization.”

Habitat LA President and CEO Erin Rank thanked “the Lowe’s Heroes who have supported us for the past 14 years.” Over that time nearly 600 volunteers have put in more than 7,000 volunteer hours on Habitat sites.

LeAnne Romesburg (Lowe's), Kristi Castlin (U.S. Olympian), Erin Rank (Habitat LA) and Shevon Nieto (U.S Olympian) smiling together for a photo.

LeAnne Romesburg (Lowe’s), Kristi Castlin (U.S. Olympian), Erin Rank (Habitat LA) and Shevon Nieto (U.S Olympian)

Kristi Castlin, a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100-meter hurdles, stressed the importance of showing young girls women putting in hard work, and likened it to her work on and off the track. “It’s important for young girls to see us out here doing different things, putting the hard hats on, getting dirty and getting sweaty.”

Doris and Nidra Marks, a mother and daughter who will be moving into a new Habitat home in South L.A, later this spring, shared the story of how they became a Habitat partner family. Twenty years ago, Nidra suffered an injury that left her legally blind, and with hospital bills that forced her mother to drain her 401K and cost them their home. When they applied —and were approved for—a Habitat home, they felt like they had won the lottery.

Doris expressed her gratitude to the women who participated in the event: “I’ve met some amazing people today,” she said. “They’re ordinary people who just care.”

Click here to see photos from the event.