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Atlanta Women’s Build 2011: Empowering Atlanta WomenFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:Geneva Hall-Shelton Atlanta Habitat for Humanity Sponsorship Manager geneva.hall-shelton@atlantahabitat.org Atlanta, GA (May 18, 2011) – A new Atlanta Habitat for Humanity home will be dedicated this Saturday, May 21st, 2011 at 12 pm. This home, built for new homebuyer Betty Smith and her family, is a special home sponsored by the Atlanta Women’s Build. Construction of the home began April 2. Over the last seven weeks, more than 280 women from Atlanta business, civic, and social networks have partnered with Atlanta Habitat to build a home with the Smith family. Women make up approximately 85 percent of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity’s homebuyers and the Atlanta Women’s Build will help support one woman-led household. This unique program helps close the gender gap by making homeownership as accessible to women as it is to men, who generally have higher incomes, fewer dependents and are better able to afford homes on the open market. The Atlanta Women’s Build began more than a decade ago when a group of determined women raised more than $75,000 to sponsor a home built entirely by women volunteers. The passion and dedication of that inaugural group has continued and will be alive again this Saturday as we complete the fourth house built by the Atlanta Women’s Build group. “This is one of the best ways to not only give something back to the community, but to empower the next generation of girls to make a difference in the lives of Atlanta families. I am proud that my girls will see me participating in this project and that children of Atlanta Habitat homebuyers around the city will benefit from the safety and security their homes provide,” says Alexandra Balzer, Atlanta Women’s Build chairperson. After six Saturdays of hammering, shingling, and painting, the all-women volunteer team along with the new homeowner and her family will be putting the final touches on Ms. Smith’s home this Saturday. To celebrate the occasion, a dedication ceremony will be held on Ms. Smith’s new front porch. Attending the dedication will be actress and philanthropist Lane Carlock Howard, and television anchor and hometown hero Brenda Wood, who have served as honorary co-chairs of the build. Also in attendance will be Kathy Betty, owner and CEO of the Atlanta Dream, and Candice Byrd, City of Atlanta Chief of Staff. Planning is already underway for the 2012 house. The Atlanta Women’s Build Steering Committee plans to make this house an annual event. For more details on how to get involved, visit the Atlanta Women’s Build on Facebook. Dedication Ceremony Details
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