Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North’s Women Build team just launched a new fundraising initiative — and it’s a ‘wonky’ one.
Some members of Comox Valley women-only team built a children’s playhouse to raffle off, which it very aptly dubbed Wonky House.
“It’s called a Wonky House because every wall, window, roof, everything is off-kilter on purpose,” explained Women Build coordinator Cristi Sacht with a grin, adding Habitat for Humanity VIN’s build co-ordinator Peter Sanderson gave the women a hand because they didn’t have building experience.
“It was a nightmare to try to build because nothing’s square and so we literally were flying by the seat of our pants and of course, none of us have technically built anything, so it was a really great exercise for us to kind of get in there, use the tools.”
The carpentry practice will come in handy because not only are these women are responsible for raising $100,000, but they are also responsible for building half of one of three duplexes in Habitat for Humanity VIN’s housing project to help local families obtain their own homes.
The Wonky House is not gender specific, and features strange angles with the windows, walls and roofline set askew.
Local artist Kelly Sart painted butterflies, flowers and bees on the walls on the inside with a chalkboard paint blue sky background so kids can draw on the walls with chalk.
Raffle tickets for the house are a minimum $5 donation and people can check out the house at various community events around the Valley.
So far, the house has been to Market Days, the Classic Cruisers car club’s annual Graffiti Bash, and most recently, Nautical Days.
According to Sacht, the tickets will be available until the Women Build team dedicates its house to the new homeowner, which will likely be Mother’s Day.
Five sub-teams of women have signed up for the Women Build team, and about $22,000 has been raised so far.
Sacht said the teams are doing well, but she would like to see a total of 10 teams on board with a total of 200 women.
Teams should be about 10 or more women, but some are bigger; right now about 100 women are involved in the project, and Sacht wants to get that number to 200.
She’s looking for women from Campbell River to participate because Habitat for Humanity VIN also serves that area.
She’s also looking for more corporate teams to take part in the project, which she called a phenomenal team-building activity for a business’ employees. She noted Coastal Community Credit Union and Crown Isle Resort and Golf Course both have large teams and these groups have a blast when they’re doing their fundraising activities.
“And that’s what it’s about, you know, not only are we out there doing something good, paying it forward and giving our time, but we want to have fun doing it,” said Sacht.
The Women Build team expects to start construction on the home on Sept. 10. The building will be completed to lock-up stage, with more fundraising over the winter. Completion of the interior is estimated to happen in the spring.
The Women Build team is Habitat for Humanity’s first all women team in B.C.
For more information, or to start a team contact Cristi Sacht at cristi@elementalenergyadvisors.ca.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com
