A large Habitat for Humanity project is underway in the city’s northeast and during the month of May more than 250 women will come together to help build homes for Calgary families.

Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build is in its final weekend and on Friday the pink hardhats were hard at work on a project in the community of Pineridge.

Participants were asked to raise $250 each for the build and they surpassed this year’s goal and collectively raised over $115,000 for Habitat for Humanity.

The Calgary Real Estate Board has 36 female realtors working at the site and this is the first year it has partnered with Habitat to build homes.

“It’s so fantastic because you get to be hands on so I think the meaning goes a bit deeper for all the people involved where you actually, with  your hands, you get to create something that’s going to benefit someone and it’s just so worthwhile,” said Adrienne Moul, President of the CREB Charitable Foundation.

“It’s huge for us to have a partner such as CREB,” said Carla Gervais, Habitat Fund Development Director.

Habitat builds homes for families and provides interest-free mortgages to give them a stable home.

“Some of our families are in homes that are either with mould or not large enough for a family. We have families that have four children, we have some families that have seven children so they’re in a home with maybe two bedrooms, this way they have a home that hopefully most of the children have a bedroom or they can share a room. Their life is way more stable so if their income right now is looking at paying rent as opposed to paying for food on the table, then this way they have a mortgage that they can afford to pay,” said Gervais.

Construction on three of the six four-plexes is in various stages and the women are learning as they go.

Sherry Heinrich sells homes for a living and says working on the project is a great chance to give back.

“There’s obviously a lot of people in need and affordability of homes in Alberta is an issue so it’s just wonderful to help give back,” she said. “I think it’s important to put the human face to the cause, I mean, we’ve all heard of Habitat before but to meet the people and to see how it’s going to impact them and make their lives better is very interesting.”

Pat Kamitomo is with Executive Women International and has participated in Women Build before.

“I enjoy learning something new every time,” she said. “It’s just an exciting thing to do.”

The families have to put in 500 hours of sweat equity, which is their down payment, and can volunteer on their own home, at the agency’s restore or in the community.

One of the buildings is almost ready to go and four families will be moving in by the end of June.

For more information on Habitat for Humanity click HERE.

(With files from Kevin Fleming)