Habitat for Humanity is a global non-profit organization dedicated to building and restoring houses in various communities. I joined my local "last minute" list and was lucky enough to get an email for a Saturday opening for a "new build" which was still in the beginning phase.
I worked alongside a number of volunteers from diverse backgrounds (musicians, engineers and architects!) to help with wall framing and hammer wood planks on the exterior of the house. One of the official photographers snapped that photo of me above just as we were getting started!
The Habitat staff were awesome - very knowledgable and fun. Thanks to some sponsors we had Panera lunch delivered and plenty of Dunkin Donuts coffee and sweets to sustain us throughout the day. I had an awesome time and learned a lot! They also provided work boots, gloves, hard hats, tool belts (aprons) and all the tools needed!
Many people immediately think of building homes when they think of Habitat for Humanity but they also have plenty of other volunteer opportunities! I also signed up for a shift at Habitat's
ReStore which is set up similar to the "Goodwill" model and sells furniture, home decor, home improvement goods and other donated items for a fraction of the price, and in turn uses the profits for other building projects! My shift consisted of showing customers what inventory we had in stock, assembling a donated Ikea couch (which ended up getting sold before I could finish setting it up!) and wiping down furniture that was in the warehouse.
Habitat does some great stuff for local families in so many communities and is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday! I will most definitely be keeping my eye out for another last minute building project (it's really hard to sign up as an individual since many companies or organizations sign up a large group on the weekends!). Do some research to see if there is an opportunity for you and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!
