SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Volunteers teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to help repair homes in the South Bay.
On a normal day, Shubha Govil is a product management leader at San Jose's Cisco Systems. Today though, she joined 59 other women to do repairs, deck building, painting, maintenance and even some demolition work at a mobile home park under the aegis of Habitat for Humanity East Bay & Silicon Valley. Her volunteer labor is going to have a big impact on the lives of Tim and Valerie Jaggers, whose home at the Westwinds Mobile Home Park has fallen in disrepair because of their physical limitations.
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A group of 15 people is busy painting the exterior, replacing a sliding glass door, and repairing termite damage. It was all made possible by the combination of a grant from the City of San Jose and a zero-interest loan administered by Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity East Bay & Silicon Valley executive director Janice Jensen says volunteer teams are usually half women and half men, but today is the annual Women's Leadership Build, an opportunity for employees to develop new skills, provide community service, and network. Besides Cisco, the women come from a variety of companies, including Bank of America and Xilinx. Some are first-timers while others, like Shubha, are repeat volunteers.
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For the Jaggers, the help they're getting will give them peace of mind, knowing that their mobile home will be in good condition for years to come. They live on a small pension and Social Security. They moved into their home in 1983.