Perched upon a scaffold for the only time in memory, Emily Mulka kept her composure when she noticed a cluster of tiny spiders scurrying in all directions.

She brushed it off, focusing on the painting job at hand.

“I was a man about it,” Mulka joked, sharing the story with a companion next to her on the scaffold. “I kept on working.”

Mulka joined other volunteers who devoted part of their Wednesday to help paint a new Habitat for Humanity home under construction in Oak Harbor.

She and Barbara Hernandez were among several Peoples Bank employees participating in Habitat’s National Women Build Week initiative, which challenges women to devote at least one day to help build affordable housing in their communities.

Other local businesses, including Wells Fargo bank, allowed employees to leave the office and pitch in with the effort.

Developed in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Lowe’s, the Women Build program gives women a chance to work together in a construction environment more commonly associated with men with any intimidation removed.

“You get to experience something you wouldn’t generally do on your own,” Hernandez said. “I consider myself a pretty handy person at home.”

The program is in its eighth year with 62,000 women from all 50 states volunteering in past events.

Habitat for Humanity of Island County has been involved with the program since 2009 with projects generally centered in Oak Harbor.

About 15,000 women nationwide are expected to participate in this year’s national program, including roughly 50 joining the Oak Harbor effort.

The program started May 2 and concludes May 10.

“This is a very welcoming environment, helping women come out and shape the lives of other families,” said Sadie Foltz, development director at Habitat for Humanity of Island County.

“It’s not about excluding men. It’s about empowering women to help build lives.”

Men also donned pink Women Build T-shirts and contributed to the project.

The three bedroom house is one of two Habitat homes under construction and located beside each other on Lanteen Street.

The one that was part of Women Build is being built for Scarlett Agee and her two children. Agee is a medical assistant working with Whidbey General Surgery and Island Women’s Health Care in Coupeville.

Foltz said applicants must have incomes that fall within 25 to 50 percent of the median income in Island County to be eligible.

“She’s absolutely wonderful,” Foltz said of Agee. “She’s working so hard to get her education. She has a full-time job and she’s young. She has her entire life ahead of her. She’s so grateful and wonderful to work with. She’s out on the job site trying to meet all the groups that help build.”

Sandy Rankin, a universal banker at Peoples Bank, has never met Agee, but she showed up to the worksite on her day off to help paint.

“It’s helping the community,” Rankin said. “It’s helping someone.”

Damion Lopez, a construction manager for Habitat in his third year of being involved with Women Build, said the program dispels the notion that women can’t keep up with the men on the job site.

He pointed to last year when Women Build fell during the time a house was being framed.

“They were building walls and raising them just like anybody else would,” Lopez said.