Home Bank, 106.3’s Mandi Ayao and Lafayette Habitat for Humanity volunteers to build affordable housing on May 8th and May 9th in Lafayette in recognition of National Women Build Week

Lafayette, LA  (April 24, 2015)  – A team of Home Bank employees and 106.3 Radio’s Mandi Ayao will be among more than 55 volunteers to join Lafayette to address the need for affordable housing in the Acadiana area as part of Habitat’s National Women Build Week, May 2-10.

This event will focus on building in the McComb/Veazey neighborhood, Lafayette Habitat’s focus neighborhood, and one of Lafayette oldest core communities.  Susan Allardyce, Home Bank’s Marketing Coordinator,  explains why their team is participating in this nation-wide initiative: “Home Bank’s outreach mission is to serve the communities where our staff and customers live. As a mortgage lender, we know how important the security of a home is to families. Having the opportunity to help build a home with Habitat is dear to our hearts. In fact, several of our volunteers for this build are members of our mortgage team, and they can’t wait to get to work. ”

Joining Allardyce on Friday afternoon will be Mandi Ayao as she too strives to make an impact on local building projects.  “It can be so easy for us to see the challenges others face in our communities and think ‘Why doesn’t SOMEONE do something to help?’,” said Ayao.   “It took facing adversity myself, and experiencing gratitude for those that were there to help me rise above it, to realize how fortunate I am – and that ‘Wait a minute, I am that SOMEONE, we ALL are.’ Knowing how even the smallest gesture can make such a huge difference in another person’s life, I find it rewarding to help any way that I can.”

National Women Build Week is a weeklong event created by Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program that challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their local communities. The week also spotlights the homeownership challenges faced by women. Lowe’s donated nearly $2 million to this year’s National Women Build Week and each year provides the support of Lowe’s Heroes and conducts how-to clinics at stores to teach volunteers construction skills.  More than 300 Habitat for Humanity affiliates are hosting Women Build events this year.

WHAT:           Habitat for Humanity observing National Women Build Week by building homes in the McComb/Veazey neighborhood as part of their Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative

WHEN:           Friday, May 8

9:00 a.m.  Construction begins

12:00  p.m.  Construction ends

 

1:00 p.m.  Construction begins

4:00  p.m.  Construction ends
Saturday, May 9

9:00 a.m.  Construction begins

12:00  p.m.  Construction ends

 

1:00 p.m.  Construction begins

4:00  p.m.  Construction ends

 

WHERE:        408 14th Street, Lafayette, LA 70501

 

WHO:                         Home Bank volunteers, Mandi Ayao, Habitat homeowners, Lafayette Habitat staff, and Women Build volunteers

 

About Lafayette Habitat

Lafayette Habitat for Humanity (LHFH), one of more than 1,700 U.S. affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing to working families. Since 1992, thousands of volunteers from Acadiana and across the U.S. have worked in partnership with qualified homebuyers to construct affordable, quality homes, which are then purchased through no-interest mortgages. To date, Lafayette Habitat has built 100 homes in Lafayette and Vermillion Parishes.  For more information, please visit www.habitatlafayette.org  or call 337-261-5041.