Team of women finish habitat home, raise awareness for WHM

By Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel, 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs / Published March 23, 2017

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An Airman with the 89th Attack Squadron fills a wheel-barrel full of dirt during a Habitat for Humanity home build in Rapid City, S.D., March 18, 2017, as part of Women’s History Month. Nine women participated in the build help finish up a family’s home with work such as rock landscaping, grass seeding, and dirt work. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel)

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A team of women from Ellsworth Air Force Base landscape a Habitat for Humanity home during a build in Rapid City, S.D., March 18, 2017, as part of Women’s History Month. Nine women participated in the event to not only spread awareness for the month but to give back to the community. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel)

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An Airman with the 89th Attack Squadron and Airman 1st Class Malyiah Arbuckle, a food service apprentice assigned to the 28th Force Support Squadron, work on rock landscaping during a Habitat for Humanity home build in Rapid City, S.D., March 18, 2017, as part of Women’s History Month. The team used plastic tarp as a barrier underneath the rock landscape to prevent weeds from growing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel)

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A team of women from Ellsworth Air Force Base work on a home’s rock landscape during a Habitat for Humanity home build in Rapid City, S.D., March 18, 2017, as part of Women’s History Month. This was the first time the Black Hills area Habitat for Humanity branch has had an all-women’s team for WHM. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald C. Knechtel)

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --

Nine Airmen from Ellsworth created an all-women’s team to complete construction on a Habit for Humanity home March 18, 2017, in support of Women’s History Month.

“We aren’t doing this just because we all want to volunteer, we want to bring awareness to a month that I think people don't often recognize,” said 1st Lt. Kimberly Auton, a weapon systems officer assigned to the 34th Bomb Squadron.

According to John Schencke, the site manager for the Black Hills area Habitat for Humanity branch, this is the first time they have had an all-women’s team for Women's History Month. However, it is not the first time they have had an all-women’s team build for the organization.

“We set up a women's build twice a year and have done so for the last 10 years,” Schencke said. “We do this because they get to do the work. We found in the past when women come with guys, the guys take all the work leaving the women to sit in the background. This provides more of an opportunity and it really empowers the women to take charge.”

These all-women team events have been part of the organization since 1991, allowing volunteers from all walks of life to come together to build stronger, safer communities.

During the build the team worked on a house for a family of seven, a single mother with six children. The group put the finishing touches on the house with dirt work, grass seeding and landscaping.

“It’s about community involvement and [events like these] get a lot of people out here to feel like a part of something and [maybe even] learn some new hands-on skills in the process,” Schencke said.

Schencke said the all-women’s team and the work they are doing helps spread awareness throughout the local community.

“My biggest takeaway from this event is that anyone can volunteer to work outside their comfort zone,” Auton said. “No matter your gender or what shape and size, you can participate in this and I think it’s a really great opportunity for people to get involved with to help out both the community and celebrate March [Women’s History Month].”