Celebrating 20 Years of Women+ Build 

Twenty years ago, Brandi Host spent her first Women+ Build day lifting large wooden trusses into place to form the roof of a home. The work was hard, and she remembers waking up the next day barely able to lift her arms above her head, but what stayed with her most was the accomplishment she felt at the end of the day. 

“I just remember the sense of excitement and pride and sore arms.”  

Her first Women+ Build began with an invitation from a friend. Beth Ellis, a longtime friend and team leader, asked Brandi if she wanted to join her team.  

When Beth invited Brandi to join her Women+ Build team, she promised that they would have a lot of fun and enjoy drinks together after the build. Brandi thought, “That sounds cool,” and decided to give it a try. What started as saying yes to an invitation became a two-decade commitment to Habitat and to the Monroe County community. Brandi eventually took over Beth’s team and later co-led it with Theresa Thompson. 

“I just made such a good community of friends,” Brandi said. “I have serious, deep friendships that have been built from taking part in Women Build.” 

Over the years, Brandi also began to understand why Habitat’s mission resonated so deeply with her. For part of her youth, Brandi was raised by a single mom who worked in the hospitality industry, from about the ages of 8 to 12, she and her family moved annually.

“You didn’t really ever feel like your room was your room,” Brandi said. “You couldn’t really put your stakes in the ground or feel like you had that sense of community in your neighborhood.” 

She didn’t recognize at first that her own childhood experiences may have been an underlying reason Habitat’s work felt so meaningful to her, but over the years, she began to see the connection. 

Over the years, Brandi has made meaningful memories at Women+ Build. She remembers a Habitat homeowner’s daughter seeing her newly painted purple bedroom for the first time. She was so excited to see a space that had been customized for her.    

For Brandi, those moments helped illustrate that a Habitat home is about more than four walls. It is about having a place where people can put down roots, feel secure and build a future. Working alongside future homeowners and seeing their experiences firsthand became one of the reasons she continued returning to Women+ Build year after year. 

“I’ve heard horror stories about the lack in homes,” said Brandi, “The high electrical bills and people having to choose between food and heating.” 

Through Habitat, Brandi has seen firsthand how affordable homeownership can meet a family’s most basic needs. For her, affordable homeownership means giving people the stability to focus on the other important parts of their lives without constantly worrying about having a roof over their heads or being able to pay their bills. 

Her years with Habitat have also given her a deeper appreciation for the homes many of us may take for granted. Through the sweat equity required of Habitat homeowners and the stories she has heard from families over the years, Brandi has seen how meaningful the opportunity for affordable homeownership can be. 

Over two decades, Brandi has also watched Women+ Build grow into an increasingly inclusive and empowering community. When she first started, she was nervous about working on a construction site without any experience. But she quickly learned that there were plenty of ways to contribute, and if one job wasn’t a good fit, there was always another to try. 

As Brandi gained experience, she became the person who wanted to make first-time builders feel comfortable and empowered. She understood what it was like to pick up a hammer for the first time and felt nervous when everyone was watching, so she began helping other builders through those moments, just as others had helped her. 

Over time, Women+ Build has continued to grow alongside her. What once involved building a single home has evolved into an opportunity to build two homes and bring more volunteers together around the growing need for affordable housing in Monroe County. 

For Brandi, the impact of Habitat is measured by what happens after the walls go up, and when neighbors meet on front porches, plant gardens and begin building a community together. 

“I consider my neighbors some of the greatest assets that I have in my life,” said Brandi.  

Brandi feels deeply rooted in her own Bloomington community and loves living in her home and neighborhood. Over the years, she has enjoyed watching Habitat neighborhoods take shape and seeing homeowners make their houses their own, whether through flowers planted in front yards or gardens growing behind their homes. She is even Facebook friends with several Habitat homeowners and enjoys seeing glimpses of their lives over the years. 

Through Women+ Build, Brandi has found a lasting sense of camaraderie, building friendships with fellow volunteers and future homeowners. Those relationships are part of what makes the experience so meaningful to her. 

“It makes you feel invested in the community,” Brandi said. “Bloomington is big enough to where you’re constantly meeting new people, but it’s small enough that when you do volunteer for something, you feel a sense of that impact.” 

After 20 years of Women+ Build, Brandi hopes that same spirit continues for generations to come. She hopes Monroe County remains a model for Women+ Builds around the country. She wants the community to be known as caring, dedicated people willing to show up, work hard, and make sure their neighbors have a safe place to call home. 

Twenty years ago, Brandi said yes to a friend’s invitation because it sounded fun, but she stayed because she found friendship, purpose, and community. Now, she hopes the next generation of Women+ Builders will find the same thing. 

“I hope that we are still a model for Women’s Builds around the country, as a community who gets in there and gets it done.” 

Register for Women+ Build

Be part of the next chapter of Women+ Build! Register to build alongside your neighbors, make an impact on the construction site, and help create affordable homes for local families.

Not able to build? You can still make a difference by donating to support the materials, tools and resources needed to make homeownership possible.

Register to build or donate at mcwomenbuild.org.