HUD Secretary Ben Carson to Keynote DC Habitat's "Women Build: She Nailed It" Celebration Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 6 p.m.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Honorable Benjamin S. Carson, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will be the keynote speaker at a "celebration reception" hosted by Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. to highlight its ground-breaking "Women Build: She Nailed It" campaign to promote affordable homeownership for low- and moderate-income women in need of housing. The event takes place  at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, September 14, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• The "Women Build: She Nailed It" initiative enjoys the support of the current First Lady and all five living former First Ladies, bipartisan members of Congress, and the Mayor of Washington, D.C.
• Launched on International Women's Day on March 8, 2017, the multi-month campaign is on track to surpass its $500,000 fundraising goal to provide permanent, safe and decent new homes to local families and to engage broader community support.

WHO:

•  
  • Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, 17^th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  • Candy Carson, Co-Founder and Board Member, Carson Scholars Fund
  • Debra Alfarone, TV Journalist and WUSA9's Weekend Evening Anchor (Washington, D.C.)
  • Susanne V. Slater, DC Habitat President and CEO
  • Corinne McIntosh-Douglas, DC Habitat Board Chair
  • Debbie Ames Naylor, Executive Vice President and President, Mortgage Banking, PenFed, and Chair of the Women Build Steering Committee, leading the fundraising efforts for the 2017 Women Build campaign.
  • DC Habitat homeowner Andrea Morgan who will share her story of empowerment.
  • Polly Donaldson, DC Department of Housing and Community
  • Shanel James, Miss US International 2017 and a Howard University graduate
  • Other government, private sector, and community leaders. 

WHAT:

The September 14, 2017 celebration reception will honor DC Habitat's "Women Build: She Nailed It" fundraising and public awareness campaign.

DC Habitat's Women Build initiative recognizes the challenges facing women in the nation's capital, especially women who serve as the head of their family and have little hope of achieving the dream of homeownership. To address these needs, DC Habitat focuses on helping local women and their families build strength, stability, self-reliance and community through affordable homeownership opportunities.  DC Habitat offers a hand-up, not a handout so that families working alongside us can achieve the dream of homeownership.

Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, which is currently supporting Hurricanes Harvey and Irma response and recovery efforts through the #HabitatHammersBack campaign.

WHEN:

6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, September 14, 2017.

• V.I.P. and General Receptions begin at 6 p.m.
• Official program to begin at approximately 7:15 p.m.
• Conclusion at 8:30 p.m.

MEDIA:

Media check-in at 5:30 p.m., media to provide official credentials and two forms of I.D. R.S.V.P. to Kirsten Fedewa: [email protected] or 202.365.6936. Broadcast quality lighting and press platform to be provided.

WHERE:

The Great Hall, National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. (New York Avenue Entrance).

WHY:

DC Habitat's "Women Build: She Nailed It" campaign highlights the contributions of women invested in bringing the DC community together to build and raise money for affordable housing.

Since the launch of the "Women Build: She Nailed It" campaign on March 8, 2017 (International Women's Day), more than two dozen all-volunteer construction builds with DC Habitat's corporate and nonprofit partners have been scheduled. Those include PenFed, Avalon Bay, Edgewood, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Kiwanis Club, Leidos, and MidCity Financial, among others.

About DC Habitat:

According to Professional Builder magazine, 2015, Habitat for Humanity International was the 15th largest homebuilder in the United States. Since DC Habitat's founding in 1988, 200 homes in Washington, D.C. and abroad have been built or rehabilitated, utilizing the help of 2,000 to 5,000 volunteers each year. Habitat DC currently has 44 new homes in its construction pipeline and plans to substantially increase the number of D.C. families served to 450 families through homeownership opportunities, critical home repair and counseling by 2020.

For more information, visit: http://www.dchabitat.org/events/women-build/.

SOURCE Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.