Homeownership is one of the best tools out there for building a stable future — but it's not always an easy one to access. Between saving for a down payment, building credit, juggling childcare, and navigating a mortgage process that isn't always straightforward, there are real hurdles standing between a lot of families and a home of their own.

This October, I am picking up a hammer alongside Sparks of Change, a team of women from Steiner Electric, to join Habitat Chicago's Women Build — a few hundred women coming together to help build homes for families who are ready for that next step. Habitat Chicago does this right: they build quality homes, listen to what residents actually need, and support people all the way through to homeownership.

I've got a fundraising goal to hit, and I'd love your help getting there. Whatever you can give — five dollars or five hundred — it adds up fast when enough of us show up for each other.

Change happens one person at a time. Thanks for being one of mine.

Keri