In Conroe’s Cedar Creek neighborhood, progress often arrives in work boots and hard hats. On build days with Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, Texas, those hard hats are pink. The sound of hammers, laughter, and steady encouragement is a familiar sign that the Can Do Crew is back on site.
For more than 15 years, this all-women volunteer team has shown what can happen when service meets skill, leadership, and consistency. What began in spring 2011 as Habitat MCTX’s first Women’s Build has grown into one of the organization’s most visible and impactful groups, helping create safe, affordable homes for local families while modeling what women can accomplish together on a construction site.
The group was launched by Barbara McGregor and Marguerite Ference during the early days of Cedar Creek, Habitat’s all-Habitat neighborhood in Conroe. There was no detailed playbook, just a clear willingness to get to work. That practical spirit still defines the crew today. Over the years, members expanded their role from volunteering on build days to helping fundraise and fully sponsor homes, pairing hands-on labor with the financial support needed to bring each project across the finish line.
This spring, the Can Do Crew is completing its eighth Habitat home in Cedar Creek. That means eight families now live in homes shaped by the group’s determination, generosity, and teamwork. Each house stands as a reminder that affordable homeownership begins with people who are willing to invest time, strength, resources, and heart into their neighbors’ future. Their current project is also part of an important transition. It is one of the final four homes to be built in Cedar Creek before Habitat MCTX begins construction in its new Marble Creek neighborhood in Magnolia.
Their impact is easy to measure in completed homes, but the fuller story is in the way they show up. Regular build days can bring more than 30 women to a site in a single morning. Some arrive with construction experience. Others learn as they go. What unites them is a willingness to step into demanding work, encourage one another, and keep returning.
That steady commitment earned the Can Do Crew recognition as 2024 Building Hope Gala honorees, but the group’s influence extends well beyond awards. Their presence has become an invitation for other women to volunteer, learn new skills, and take on meaningful roles in community building.
“Being part of this mission has shown me that real impact comes from people willing to roll up their sleeves and serve,” said Tina Rivera, Can Do Crew member and Chair of the 2026 Building Hope Gala.
For Conroe readers, the takeaway is simple. Community impact is not abstract. It looks like neighbors fundraising, framing walls, lifting ladders, and creating stability for families working toward homeownership. The Can Do Crew has spent years proving that service can be both practical and deeply personal.
To get involved, volunteer with Habitat MCTX, support a future build, or follow the organization’s next chapter as home construction begins in Marble Creek. Visit habitatmctx.org/volunteer.