Interest In Habitat For Humanity Has Been Building Lately

Lela Wester said she is happy to have a roof over her head, but the 1999 snowstorm took its toll on her trailer's floor and ceiling.

"You could poke holes in it. That's how bad it was," Wester said.

Wester is used to making repairs. But soon, she will be the owner of a brand new home, thanks to Habitat for Humanity.

As a single mother, Wester was accepted for Habitat's next Women's Build in Orange County. Women are being recruited for almost everything from the fund raising to the labor.

"There will be a little bit of male help with the plumbing unless we can find female subcontractors to do plumbing, electrical, things like that," said Habitat spokeswoman Anne-Marie Vanaman.

Habitat officials said the response to the call for help has been overwhelming -- especially after Sept. 11.

"About a week after the disaster, we had a lot of calls from people who wanted to do some volunteering to reach out to other people in the community and do something positive," Vanaman said.

Wester said she has started to put in her required sweat-equity hours building someone else's home and she was overwhelmed that other women would do the same for her.

If you are interested in participating in Orange County's Women's Build, you can call

919-732-6767, extension 15

. Construction should begin in the spring.