It's hard to believe this will be my 8th year participating in Women Build. Every year I do this, I walk away even more inspired and even more convinced of how important this work is.

The reality is that we're in the middle of a housing crisis, and safe, affordable homeownership is out of reach for far too many families.

For many women, the path to owning a home comes with extra barriers from the gender pay gap and unequal caregiving responsibilities to higher mortgage denial rates. These challenges make it harder to build the stability and opportunities that homeownership can provide.

This October, I'll be putting on my tool belt and joining hundreds of incredible women for Habitat Chicago's Women Build. Together, we'll help build homes and create more opportunities for women and families to achieve the dream of homeownership.

If you're able, I'd be so grateful for your support as I work toward my fundraising goal. Every donation, no matter the size, helps make a real difference.

Thank you for cheering me on, supporting this mission, and helping create stronger communities, one home at a time.