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Keith McCord ReportingHabitat for Humanity has another project going in Salt Lake City--a housing project that will eventually be home to four families. This one's a bit unusual in that the construction crew is made up entirely of women.
On a normal weekday, you'd find these women in the offices of Fidelity Investments. But today they're in jeans instead of business suits and there's not a briefcase in sight. They're participating in Habitat for Humanity's "Women Build" program, where homes are built from start to finish by women.
Aleatha Leader, Habitat for Humanity Homeowner, Volunteer: "This is going to be my home. It's built from the ground up, which is amazingly wonderful!"
Aleatha Leader is giddy about the prospect of moving into her new home with her three-year old son. For one thing, there are lots of other kids in the area.
Aleatha Leader: "Habitat is the only place that I've ever been where they pre-screen your neighbors that they're good people. I mean, every house on this row has a kid."
Habitat's "Women Build" program was formed in 1998, and so far has produced 450 homes across the country. Aleatha Leader says she sort of fell in to this project. She had signed up to be a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and then discovered she qualified to be a recipient. That means she has to contribute 200 hours of "sweat equity".
Aleatha Leader: "It's got to be the best feeling in the world because you're putting up something where people are going to live. And today I'm working on my house; I'm so excited, I'm vibrating (laugh.)"
And she'll move in a couple of months. The Salt Lake Valley Chapter of Habitat has built 59 homes since 1986.
