For families with school-age children, the cost of heading back to the classroom can add up quickly. National estimates put spending on basic school supplies, including notebooks, binders, folders, and writing utensils, at more than $100 per student.
This summer, the Professional Women in Building (PWB) Council of the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains partnered with CARING for Children/Eckerd Connects to help offset some of those costs for local families.
Through its Backpacks Building Futures drive, PWB members and supporters raised funds to purchase backpacks and school supplies. Then, on July 21, volunteers representing businesses from across the building industry gathered to fill nearly 80 backpacks for the upcoming school year.
“There’s something exciting about starting a new school year with a new backpack and everything you need inside it,” says Ashley Kepley-Steward, Director of Operations at Alair Asheville | Red Tree and a PWB member. “We wanted more kids in our community to have that feeling, and our members really rallied around it.”
Nearly 80 members strong, PWB connects women working throughout the residential construction industry, from builders and project managers to designers, tradespeople, suppliers, Realtors, and marketing professionals. Part of a national network supported by the National Association of Home Builders, the council creates opportunities for professional development, leadership, and service.
Over the past year, that focus on service has included preparing meals at Transformation Village, a transitional housing program in Asheville for women and children experiencing homelessness, and organizing a diaper drive to benefit local families.
“One of the best things about PWB is that people are willing to get involved,” Kepley-Steward says. “We have members from all different parts of the building industry, and that gives us a lot of resources and connections to draw from. We want to keep finding practical ways to use those connections to support the communities where we live and work.”
