Penny Pederson has been building with Habitat for Humanity for twelve years, yet her interest in construction began long ago.

She recalls that at age five, “When we wanted to play house, I would make the house.”

She quickly realized that the world was brimming with tools like popsicle sticks, cigar boxes, wet sand, bent nails, discarded string, magnifying glasses and crayons.

Legends of Native American lore left her wondering how to make fires and hunting tools, as well as tracking and creating shelters from nature. Her desire to build grew, and by the age of seven her skills were improving.

“In a vacant lot I would build a shelter out of sticks and reeds, and sit smugly thinking no snow or rain could touch me.”

By the age of ten, Penny was building houses in the fruit trees and campfires in the fields. At thirteen she’d moved on to building tiny cities out of dirt and wood. When Penny was fifteen she didn’t have a bicycle, so she built one. When her bewildered mother saw what she was doing, she exclaimed, “Girls don’t do that!”

Penny wondered, why?

It was this innate curiosity that guided her throughout the following years.

Many of Penny’s skills were acquired simply by watching, researching and trying.

Penny graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in graphic design and has since held a number of titles ranging from art director to landscape designer. She was working for Hallmark in Kansas City, Missouri when she was offered a job on a television show in Hollywood. Although she was reluctant to leave her position in the illustration department, her boyfriend was being stationed only two hours from Hollywood.

Penny told her employers, “I need to go to California. I need to be with Pete.”

They didn’t want to lose her so they grudgingly offered her a position at their California branch.
“I worked around the clock for a year, every single weekend and holiday. I never saw Pete Clendennon again.”

Penny continued to work hard over the years that followed. She eventually moved back to Kansas City and realized that there was one thing she missed about Hollywood. She missed being part of a hands-on production that involves teamwork rather than sitting in an office concentrating on small pieces of paper. This is when she became drawn toward volunteering and her desire to build resurfaced.

“I began to realize more and more I really like working with tools. Then I realized, I need to buy a house.”

She bought a house built in 1909 and spent the next twelve years remodeling it. Once Penny felt that the work on the house was complete, she sold it. She compares houses to relationships and states that sometimes you have to let them go, adding that although you can’t go back you hope the next resident treats them well.
Penny has led several of the women-built homes while working with Habitat. She explains that it is important to share with the team the reasons behind the task at hand.

“You don’t tell someone to do something, you tell them why. That way, when they’re finished with the task, they’ll understand what to do next.”

A source of inspiration for Penny was her father’s patience and willingness to teach her about tools and the mechanics behind devices. This helped fuel the inventive spirit that earned her a number of awards and notoriety.

One of the many projects Penny worked on was an outdoor kitchen in Kansas City. When confronted with the problem of finding a fridge and oven that could withstand the elements, she recalled her days of sailing the waters between Long Beach and Catalina Island. This sparked the idea to order the equipment from a nautical catalogue.

Penny frequently shares her creativity and sense of adventure with others.

“It’s nice when women show up to the site saying, ‘I’ve never…’ then showing them how.”

Interviewed and Written by Volunteer Sierra Russell