How Women Under Construction Provides the Tools to Build a Better Birmingham

By Je’Don Holloway-Talley | For The Birmingham Times As both a volunteer and participant with the Birmingham-based Women Under Construction Network (WUCN), Elaine Porter, a retiree who lives in Pleasant Grove, Alabama, spends a lot of her free time repairing homes and lives. Elaine Porter (Provided) “I’m not physically working now, and [volunteering] is something for me to do and gives me the feeling of giving back,” said Porter, 64, who adds that the group also provides a sense of community. “The women there are just like me,” she said. “They have something they need and something they can give. … As I give, I receive also. It’s the support and spiritual uplifting that I get from them.” Entrepreneur Shellie Layne founded the WUCN in 2014, and it became an established 501(c)(3) organization in March 2015. The group, which celebrates its 10th anniversary founding this year, has grown along with the hundreds of women it has helped. The WUCN has launched more than 10 community projects, most of which are in conjunction with city government initiatives, organizations, and businesses, mental health professionals, financial advisors, general contractors, and volunteers who all believe in giving back and servicing human needs. Changing Lives...