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TYLER, TEXAS March 2011 – Habitat for Humanity of Smith County, volunteers from The Junior League of Tyler and Habitat homeowner Eileen Saucerman will raise the walls on Saucerman’s new home on Saturday, March 12, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
Saucerman’s house is sponsored in part by The Junior League of Tyler. It is the first of four houses that Habitat will build in the new Habitat Heights subdivision located on the corner of Glenwood and Connally in Tyler.
This will be the eighth house sponsored by The Junior League of Tyler since 1994. The Saucerman home is also this year’s Women Build event. “Women Build provides the opportunity for women to challenge themselves by learning new skills which gives them a sense of accomplishment and empowerment,” said Habitat board member and volunteer Margo Ballew.
Saucerman has eight children. She and her four youngest children have lived in a mobile home since moving to Texas nine years ago. “Housing was a big issue for my family,” Saucerman said. “I had been a stay-at-home mother while raising my kids and had to sell my home in California during my divorce.”
For the past seven years, Saucerman has worked at Tyler Radiology Associates. When her boss heard about the repairs needed on Saucerman’s mobile home, he encouraged her to apply with Habitat for Humanity.
“I was hopeful and shocked to learn through each phase of the process that I had been approved,” Saucerman said. She has attended required classes designed to prepare participants for homeownership. Saucerman has also invested over 250 “sweat equity” hours helping to build other Habitat homes. The last 100 required hours will be invested in building her own home.
About The Junior League of Tyler
The Junior League of Tyler, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. To date, The Junior League of Tyler, Inc. has given back more than $6 million, and hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours, to better the community.
About Habitat for Humanity of Smith County
Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that makes homeownership possible for low-income working families. The Smith County affiliate was formed in 1989. In the past 21 years, Habitat for Humanity of Smith County has partnered with local volunteers and donors to build or renovate 165 houses. For more information, call 903.595.6630 or visit the Smith County Habitat website at www.smithcountyhabitat.org. For frequent updates, go to www.smithcountyhabitat.wordpress.com.
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