Monday, June 9, 2008

Builder Homesite’s ‘Be Jane. com’ Teams up with Habitat for Humanity to Empower Women to Own Homes

Builder Homesite’s ‘Be Jane. com’ Teams up with Habitat for Humanity to Empower Women to Own Homes

Chief Jane persona, Suzanne Horton, will speak to support the Women Empowerment Build and offer safety training.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) May 12, 2010

Builder Homesite, Inc. (BHI), new owner of the popular how-to DIY website for women, www. BeJane. com, today announced their support of and participation in the 2010 Women Empowerment Build for Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys affiliate. The Women Empowerment Build is a social change project that blends charity with female DIY empowerment. BHI is a DIY sponsor and supporting this event along with many of the top home industry firms in the US including The Gas Company, Citibank, National Construction Rentals, The Home Depot, Lowe’s and many others. Many key celebrities and hundreds of women volunteers in pink Be Jane toolbelts are expected to help build 6 of the next 24 homes for families in need in northern Los Angeles.

Suzanne Horton, as Chief Jane and public spokesperson for BeJane. com, will be on hand at the Women Empowerment Build May 22, 23 and 24 to rally the women and help them learn how to build these new homes. Ms. Horton will also be offering safety tips and teaching women to use powertools. A former custom homebuilder and seasoned digital media executive, Ms. Horton’s know-how in the building industry comes in part from leading the vision of BeJane. com and creating a new “Home Power Portal for Women” website which Builder Homesite is launching this summer. One of the key elements of the relaunch is the new logo that Ms. Horton designed for BeJane. com which has a halo of homes, representing the good that women can spread when they feel empowered in their homes and take that confidence out into the world to help others.

“My decision to work on the committee and be a part of the Habitat for Humanity of SF/SCV Women Empowerment Build stems from my belief that it is really important to help draw attention to the critical need for affordable housing in the US and throughout the world,” said Ms. Horton. “The Habitat model helps hardworking people earn their own homes and Habitat knows that women who feel empowered in their homes will take that sense of accomplishment and make a positive impact as role models on the next Janeration of young women.”

For the CEO of Habitat for Humanity of SF/SCV, Donna Deutchman, the benefits of collaborating with BHI are obvious.

“BeJane. com and its home education strategy is a perfect fit with the Habitat for Humanity enriched neighborhood model we are so proud of here at the San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley Affiliate —caring for women across all generations—helping them build the futures that fulfill their dreams. The Women Empowerment Build visibly reflects women of all generations supporting that cause,” says Donna Deutchman, CEO. “Suzanne Horton truly is the embodiment of everything Be Jane should and could be. Her tool bag is full of all the strength, knowledge, and grace it takes to lead women to expand their skills and take the risks needed to realize their potential. She is a natural magnet, iconic for the new empowered feminine female.”

Ms. Horton would like to encourage all women to join her as she dons her pink tool belt and hard hat and takes to the task of building affordable housing for people in North Los Angeles County. For more information on the Habitat for Humanity of SF/SCV Women Empowerment Build in Pacoima, please go to www. humanityca. org to sign up to attend or sponsor this event.

For more information or to inquire about BeJane. com, please email suzanne (at) bejane (dot) com. Click this link, http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Gd9mq43YiEE (http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=Gd9mq43YiEE), to see Suzanne Horton and Be Jane rally women on CBS 2 news.

ABOUT BUILDER HOMESITE, INC. AND BEJANE. COM
Builder Homesite, Inc. was founded with a mission to bring homebuilding industry leaders together to develop world-class technology solutions. Builder Homesite is a consortium of 35 of the nation's largest homebuilders, and its flagship product is NewHomeSource. com, a consumer website offering the Internet's most comprehensive information and selection of new homes available at http://www. newhomesource. com (http://www. newhomesource. com). Builder Homesite recently acquired BeJane. com. The new site will relaunch this summer and include a full range of home improvement articles, tips/tricks, videos, and how to guides. For more information about Builder Homesite, visit www. builderhomesite. com.

ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, SAN FERNANDO/SANTA CLARITA VALLEYS
Habitat for Humanity, SF/SCV serves North Los Angeles County with one of Habitat for Humanity’s most innovative models—building first-of-their kind Habitat Enriched Neighborhoods. Unique in the world of HFH, these neighborhoods go far beyond previous affordable home ownership projects. Life skills are provided to families that enable them to become self-sufficient, productive members of the community. The Enriched Neighborhood model brings social and educational services into the neighborhoods. These services include: health information, dental hygiene, teen empowerment, and children’s programs such as tutoring. Other Habitat programs – like home ownership and repair, and money management – are also provided. Our commitment to community sustainability is strong. Our home designs are green. Habitat believes in extending a hand-up, not a hand-out. Through building homes with the help of volunteers (keeping the price low) and by holding the interest free loan – families are able to buy a home for less than what they would pay in rent. In addition families commit 500 hours of sweat equity to the building of their neighborhood. These families are hard-working people (nurse aides, day-care workers, transportation workers) who make about 50-60% the wages of middle-income workers. Habitat for Humanity, San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valley is among the ranks of only 5% of affiliates around the globe that have reached the milestone of 100 home built. This is a new kind of Habitat for a new gen(and JANE)eration.

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