300 Volunteers Build 5 Homes for Women in Virginia

Women in hard hats hammered nails and framed walls alongside hundreds of volunteers in Albemarle County, Virginia, transforming an entire neighborhood one wall at a time.

On March 26, more than 300 people showed up for Habitat for Humanity's 2026 Women Build, a month-long initiative focused on raising the walls of five homes in the Southwood redevelopment. By sunset on day one, three complete homes stood where empty lots had been that morning.

The timing couldn't be more meaningful. Many households in Southwood are led by women, making this female-powered building effort especially significant for the families who will move in.

"To be out here with other women helping build houses for women is really a fantastic opportunity," said Emily Dooley, a volunteer with Nest Realty Group. Volunteers tackled everything from cutting wood to framing walls, proving that construction skills know no gender.

The Southwood project represents something bigger than five homes. Plans call for transforming the entire area into a mixed-income community with more than 1,100 homes, with at least half designated for lower-cost housing options.

The Ripple Effect

This build comes as housing affordability squeezes families across Virginia and beyond. The volunteer effort shows how communities can tackle big challenges through collective action.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville has quietly built an impressive legacy since 1991, completing more than 350 homes that now house over 2,000 neighbors. Southwood ranks as one of their most ambitious long-term projects, with construction expected to continue for years.

As new villages take shape, the current mobile homes on site will gradually be replaced by permanent structures. The transformation promises to reshape the entire community for generations.

Volunteer Erin Garcia summed up the spirit of the day perfectly: "Everybody deserves shelter, and the fact that this is making that possible for people is incredible."

Five families will soon call these newly built houses home, thanks to 300 pairs of hands that showed up to make hope tangible.