A local construction site will trade its seasoned workers for pink hard hats and ponytails when the Coles County Habitat for Humanity participates in the first Women Build project.

Women Build is a week for women in Habitat for Humanity who are interested in learning construction skills and making a difference.

The Coles County affiliate will be building a house for Lee Pedigo and her son at 408 N. 4th St. The construction site will be taken over by women June 5.

“It gives them the opportunity to get involved, learn the skills and work with other women in the community,” said Cindy Roberts, the executive director for the Coles County Habitat for Humanity. “Women are an essential part of our program and women want to get involved in the construction part of it.”

The Pedigo house will be the 24th project for the county’s Habitat for Humanity.

The house will take about 12 to 16 weeks to complete; however, on the day of the women’s build, Roberts said she hopes the women will be able to put up dry wall and siding as well as start painting.

“Then again it depends on where we are at in construction,” Roberts said. “It is really hard to plan events like this because the scheduling is so iffy with our weather here.”

But, no matter the weather, community members are welcome to get involved by making donations or signing up for one of the sessions for the June 5 build.

The event is free for all volunteers, but requires registration.

“Applications will be accepted until the program is full,” Roberts said. ‘It is space limited because I don’t want to be overwhelmed, and that’s why we have divided it up into two timeframes.”

The first session of the build will be from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the second session will be at 11:30 a.m. Lunch for all volunteers will be served at 11:30.

“Anyone can participate and you don’t need to have major skills, we will have people there to teach them,” Roberts said. “We even have some men who have volunteered to provide the food for them and to be there to check people in.”

Women Build T-shirts, $10, and pink hard hats, $12, are available for purchase by calling the Coles County Habitat for Humanity at 217-348-7063.

Kayleigh Zyskowski can be reached at 581-7942 or kzyskowski@eiu.edu