Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott of Habitat for Humanity

Meet Kelly Pepper and Kelly McDermott. Both girls are originally from Texas, so we had common ground right at the start. Working in Minneapolis can be a bit chillier than what we’re used to, but that’s alright when you’re bundled up in the right clothes. Pictured above is the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build Team. That’s where women from across the world help build homes for others in need. Pretty cool if you ask me. These two girls blew me away with how much they knew about construction. It’s all about working from the ground up. You might feel overwhelmed in the beginning, but it’s a learning process every day.
Kelly Pepper is a Construction Volunteer Facilitator and has lived all over the world. She stumbled across the job, and figured she’d give it a go since she’d never been to Minnesota. Kelly loves working with her hands, community development, and helping others, so the job has been a great fit. Kelly McDermott is a ABWK Volunteer Facilitator. It’s a lot of hard labor, tedious, and tiring tasks that add up to such great fulfillment to a huge need. Kelly mentioned that she hoped to merge the work experience she’s gained from construction with her degree in the arts into something that can inspire, empower, and support others. If you ask me, she’s doing it already. The team pours so much of their soul and time into these homes. The craftsmanship of construction is such a beautiful art form, especially when it is mixed with the goodness of a giving heart. See how you can get involved in a Women’s Build. Let’s strive to be a community of women that seek to strengthen one another instead of competing or pulling each other down.

Kelly Pepper’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Quick Duck Woodward Jacket, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Acrylic Watch Hat / Kelly McDermott’s outfit: Carhartt Women’s Sandstone Berkley Vest, Women’s Force Performance Quarter-Zip Shirt, Women’s Series 1889 Slim Double Front Dungaree, & Women’s Quincy Hat 

Joan from Windy City Harvest

Joan is one skilled woman. She has a background in carpentry and currently teaches environmental literacy at Windy City Harvest in Chicago. WCH is a program sponsored by Chicago Botanical Garden to train adults in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture. From building hoop houses to compost pens, Joan’s carpentry background plays well into her new position at the farm. It’s always cool to look back and see how your past paves the way for your future. Each skill you gain can only help you be a more dimensional person. Always keep learning and working.

Check Carhartt women’s clothes that can help you get the job done.

Cynthia of RX Made in Chicago

Remember Meegan from Rebuilding Exchange in last week’s post? She goes out to deconstruction sites and sources materials that can be repurposed. A lot of the goodies Meegan brings back to Rebuilding Exchange go to RX Made, where Cynthia and the crew upcycle the salvaged materials. They turn wood and other odds and ends that would have been thrown out into tables, mirrors, benches, etc. Each piece is so unique and filled with history.

Cynthia is a powerhouse in the workshop. Not only does she run the shop, she also teaches classes on how to operate machinery and build repurposed furniture. I was blown away by her vast skill set.

Gotta love girls with power tools! Find out more about RX Made here.