Green Is The New Pink At 5th Annual "Power Women, Power Tools" Build Event

    GARDENA, CA, March 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles' most anticipated build event, "Power Women, Power Tools," will take place Saturday, May 16th in partnership with Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity and hundreds of professional women volunteers. Powerful women from various sectors will take part in the 5th annual all-women build, many with little to no build experience. The build event will take place at Sony Pictures Studios, where volunteers will work in two, four hour shifts to frame walls for a "green neighborhood" in the City of Lynwood. "Power Women, Power Tools" is an invite-only event that attracts hundreds of women whose participation creates awareness for the affordable housing crisis in Greater Los Angeles.

For five years this event has attracted influential women from entertainment, education, corporate and faith sectors including California First Lady Maria Shriver; California Secretary of Service and Volunteering Karen Baker; Councilwoman Janice Hahn; Jeanne Tripplehorn; Julie Bowen; Paige Hemmis; Cat Cora and more. Each year hundreds of volunteers put on their pink t-shirts and hardhats, and get to work building homes, changing lives and developing lasting friendships. This year's volunteers will be framing walls in preparation for a new "green neighborhood" in partnership with the Lynwood Redevelopment Agency, slated to break ground in late April. To commemorate the 5th Anniversary, the Host Committee is challenging participants to raise enough money to fund an entire home in South Los Angeles to be built during the 2010 "Power Women, Power Tools" event.

"Power Women, Power Tools is without a doubt the most popular and fun event we host all year," says an enthusiastic Erin Rank, president/CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. "We spend an entire day bonding and building in our pink hard hats with music cranking and when we're done, our sore muscles are a reminder of the difference we made in the lives of families for generations to come - it's a great feeling."

"Power Women, Power Tools" will take place Saturday, May 16th (8 am - 5 pm) at Sony Pictures Studios, which has generously donated space for the build event. Sony is an ongoing partner of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, donating tons of reusable building and set materials to its Home Improvement Store in Gardena every year. Once walls are completed, they'll be loaded into crates and housed until the site is ready for them. By having volunteers construct walls ahead of time, Habitat for Humanity is able to expedite the building process and move partner families into their homes sooner.

Los Angeles is at the center of the nation's housing crisis, ranking LAST in affordability of 223 major American cities and with 82,000 Angelinos homeless on any given night. This event will raise walls for homes; money for building and renovating; and awareness for the need for affordable housing so that every family can have a simple, decent place to call home. This event is made possible by the hard work and dedication of host committee members, staff, sponsors and volunteers.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF GREATER LOS ANGELES strives to eliminate poverty housing through advocacy, education and partnership with families in need to build simple, decent affordable housing. Since 1990, HFH GLA has built and renovated nearly 500 homes locally and worldwide, transforming the lives of hundreds of individuals. For more information, visit www.habitatla.org.

About Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity:
Hollywood for Habitat for Humanity (HFHFH) is an entertainment industry partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles that launched in 2000 with a 20 house "blitz build." HFHFH was founded by Screenwriter/Director Randall Wallace (Braveheart, We Were Soldiers) to encourage the entertainment industry to support Habitat for Humanity's goal of eliminating substandard housing worldwide. HFHFH works with talent and industry leaders who support the organization through donations, volunteer hours and advocacy. Thousands of volunteers from the entertainment industry have helped build homes in the United States and around the world. www.hollywoodforhabitat.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jo-An Turman
Habitat for Humanity GLA
T: 310-323-4663 ext. 121
[email protected]

Angela Moore
Starfish P.R.
T: 310-429-8868
[email protected]

# # #