Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County began construction this week on a new home for a local single mother as part of the nonprofit’s annual Women Build project.
The build started with a “panel build," a kickoff event where volunteers pre-assemble the walls of the home before they’re transported to the site for full construction.
“We begin every build, whether it’s the Women Build or any one of our Habitat builds, with a panel build where we have a sponsor who brings a team of their volunteers together to build the interior and exterior walls,” said Kristin Hall, director of development for Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County.
This year’s home will go to Carmen Calderon, a single mom and phlebotomist at Goshen Family Medicine. Calderon was accepted into Habitat’s homeownership program a year ago and has since completed the organization’s required financial literacy classes, put in 250 sweat equity hours, and saved for a down payment.
The Women Build is part of a global initiative that aims to empower women through construction and advocacy, while also addressing the need for safe, affordable housing.
“It’s an opportunity for us to empower women, to teach them, to get them out there building with us, to learn about the program,” Hall said. “And also the majority of our families are single mothers.”
Winnebago Industries sponsored this year’s build, its seventh year partnering with Habitat. Company employees helped construct the walls on-site in Middlebury before transporting them to the build location on Krau Street, near Elkhart General Hospital.
Hall said the home will be the first two-bedroom house in the affiliate’s history, a move toward more affordable housing options for smaller families.
Habitat for Humanity of Elkhart County has ramped up construction in recent years, with a goal of completing 12 homes in 2025. That’s up from 10 in 2024 and just five homes annually a few years ago.
Families interested in applying for Habitat’s program can find more information at https://www.habitatec.com. The next application window opens in September.
