Mother battling breast cancer gets early Christmas gift: a home built by all-women team

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A single mother in Rochester can already picture what her future home will look like for Christmas. The home is getting built by a team of all women, and they all invited News10NBC’s Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean to the front door.

“Overwhelmed. Amazing. Proud,” Alex said, standing on the porch of her new home.

Alex is getting used to the view that will be her new home one block off East Main Street. For family reasons, they ask that we not share her last name.

“I never thought something like this would happen to me,” Alex said. “And because it has I just take everyday in.”

Inside she directed the women applying the first coat of paint in what will be her new living room. This is a Habitat for Humanity house, but it’s more than that. Just about everything was built by women.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “What’s the pay off?”

Carolyn Whitfield, Women Build Program, Habitat for Humanity: “The pay off is we learn new skills. We’ve done everything on this house from the foundation to the framing to the siding to the flooring the finishing.”

Carolyn Whitfield helps run the Women Build Program. Women Build started in the late 90’s. Whitfield got started through her church ministry about 15 years ago. Now they pay for and build one house a year. This one is their 20th.

Carolyn Whitfield: “Well around Christmastime we’re always hoping that the house is finished enough that the family can picture themselves being in their for a holiday.”

Berkeley Brean: “Can you picture that Christmas will look like?”

Alex: “This is the picture for me. This is it for me. There’s nothing else I need to look at. There is nothing else I need to see because having this house is our gift.”

Berkeley Brean: “What difference is this going to make for you and your kids?”

Alex: “More love. More joy. More peace. And more fun.”

The rules are the homeowner has to do some of the labor. But get this, Alex is dealing with breast cancer right now and had surgery in November. So they let her supervise. It becomes her home early next year.

Original Article: https://www.whec.com/local/mother-battling-breast-cancer-gets-early-christmas-gift-a-home-built-by-all-women-team/