New Jersey’s First Lady of rock and roll, took up her duties as First Lady of our Lowe’s Women Build project on May 12^th. It was the day after Mother’s Day and Patti Scialfa (Springsteen) brought along her mother Vivian, mother-in-law Adele and teenage daughter Jessica. 

A member of the E Street Band and a well-known singer/songwriter, Patti and her extended family soon made it clear that she was going to be a hands-on First Lady for Women Build. The family quartet had barely tumbled out of their car before they went to work hammering away with other Women Build volunteers on what will be the second floor of our Women Build house at 60 North 1^st Street. 

With her trademark long red hair topped off by a Lowe’s Women Build baseball cap, Patti crawled around happily on her hands and knees, hammering in nails, occasionally autographing the T-shirts of volunteers and engaging in easy banter with her co-workers. When one of them cautioned Patti that she was getting too near the edge of the building, Patti replied: “Well if I fall you’ll have to sing for me.” There were spontaneous cheers all around when Patti and a group of volunteers pushed the second floor wall frame up and Patti hammered it into place.   

In brief remarks after the wall-raising, Patti pointed out that Mother’s Day began as an effort by 19^th Century activist Julia Ward Howe to bring mothers together to oppose war. She said that working on the Women Build home was in keeping with that original Mother’s Day intent of uniting women for social change. 

“It really meant a lot for me to spend this constructive time here with my family,” she said. “I have lived in New Jersey for my entire life and I am well aware of the critical need for affordable housing for low-income families.” 

Best of all, Patti said she and her family will be back to do more building. 

The home getting all this attention is Paterson Habitat’s third Women Build home, built and partially funded by women construction volunteers. It’s known as the Lowe's Women Build house because the Lowe’s home improvement chain is the national sponsor of First Families Building Homes, a two-year initiative of the Women Build program.

Besides making a financial contribution for our Women Build house, Lowe’s held building skills classes over the winter for many our Women Build volunteers at the new Lowe’s store on Route 20 in Paterson. Michael Bergamo, manager of the Lowe’s Paterson store, was there for the wall raising. He seemed more than delighted when Patti volunteered: “My mother says she shops at Lowe’s all the time.”

Bank of America has stepped up as lead New Jersey corporate sponsor for Paterson Habitat’s Women Build home with the largest grant yet given by Bank of America for any Habitat project in New Jersey.  Ann Limberg, President of Bank of America New Jersey, also spoke after the wall-raising. She addressed part of her comments to Jean-Claude and Elide Douge, the homeowners who will occupy the Women Build house. “I know you are looking forward to wonderful meals and family times in your new house, which I promise will be ready by Thanksgiving.” 

Jean-Claude and Elide watched all the activity with their five-year old son, Jehu. They are now living in a tiny apartment where the whole family sleeps in one room. Judging from the comments coaxed out of the shy Jean-Claude, his family will be more than ready to move in before year’s end.  “My wife,” he said, "is expecting a baby in December.” 

Earlier in the day the construction of the Douges' new home got an important boost from Susan Greenbaum Gross and Ellen Greenbaum of  Greenbaum Interiors of Paterson. This longtime Paterson business  sponsored a well-attended Women Build fund-raising luncheon at their Washington Street store. 

Other Photos from this event...

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