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‘Families like me’ -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-10-24T20:54:05Z

‘Families like me’

By Devon Smith, whose Habitat for Humanity home includes part of a Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

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Devon Smith marvels at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree each December when he and his mom visit historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a Christmas service. “We do it every year,” 9-year-old Devon says. “The tree is so big, and the church is really big. We go inside to pray for the next year that’s coming.”

Devon has a strong connection with the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree at the heart of the new children’s book, The Carpenter’s Gift. Two years ago, he and his mom moved into their new home inside a Habitat-built condominium complex in Brooklyn. Lumber from the 2008 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was used in each unit.

“My favorite part [of The Carpenter’s Gift] is when Henry plants the pinecone that becomes a Christmas Tree,” Devon says. “I haven’t planted a tree before, but I’ve planted flowers and foods in the garden we have at school. I like watching things grow.”

Here is Devon’s review of The Carpenter’s Gift.

Transcript follows.

The Carpenter’s Gift

This story is about a little boy named Henry and his family. They did not have muck money so one day Henry’s dad borrowed a truck and took Henry with him to cut down spruce trees so they could sell them as Christmas trees and have money to warm the shack they lived in and buy blankets.

Henry and his dad park in Midtown Manhattan near a construction site. They sold a lot of trees and made enough money. Before they left they gave Christmas trees to the construction works. Henry’s dad talked with one of the construction works named Frank and told him about the families hard times while they had a party. Henry made a special wish before he went home and picked up a pinecone to take with him.

The next morning Henry’s wish began to come true. Frank and the other men came to build him the warm house he wished for. Henry got his first hammer to help them build and he planted his pinecone. He kept his hammer as he got older and the tree grew taller and taller.

One day a man from Rockefeller Center came by and asked if they could have his tree to use as their Christmas tree. That is the same place where Henry and his dad sold the tree’s and found the pincone and met Frank and the other men that helped his family many years ago. So Henry said yes.

Rockefeller Center always picks a tree for Christmas and Habitat for Humanity makes homes out of the wood for families like me.

Devon Smith

My volunteer vacation -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-10-17T17:38:23Z

My volunteer vacation

By Joanne Shuttleworth, Guelph Mercury reporter and Habitat for Humanity volunteer



	Joanne Shuttleworth cuts insulation on the worksite.

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This summer, I took off eight consecutive Wednesdays and spent those days at 439 York Road here in Guelph, Ontario, building a home through Habitat Wellington County’s Women Build. While I can’t say building a house is as relaxing as floating on a lake, it’s been rejuvenating nonetheless.

A project like this has a lot of appeal for me. As a homeowner, it helps to know how to do minor repairs, and through building this home, I’ve had plenty of practice with hammers and nails and … nail removers. I also better understand the concepts of level, square and plumb — and how to achieve each of them.

Over my eight weeks, I learned how to install ledger boards, joists and subfloor. I now know the thrill of putting up an exterior wall and just how high those roof trusses really are. I might try building a shed or installing hardwood floors in my own home one day. I’m not afraid of power tools any more.

I also know I’ve had some lucky breaks in my life, and it was time to deposit some goodwill in the karma bank again. A family will get a home and an affordable mortgage through this project. And this family was the motivation for all involved. I’m delighted to be able to help.

My last day fell during Habitat’s “Bring a Friend” week, so I brought one of my daughters and we worked together installing siding on the back of the house. It was a great mother-daughter day and a fine way to wrap up my vacation. Like camp, only I got to sleep in my own bed.

I’m still hoping for some R&R, and floating on a lake still sounds refreshing. But I’ve never had a vacation that’s been as fulfilling.

Bound south -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-10-10T17:39:29Z

Bound south

By David, Isaiah and Nathan Berg, supporters of Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity



	Follow the Berg brothers to Argentina through their online Bound South travelogue.

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Most people tell us we’re crazy. It has been that way for a long time.

Our specific crazy starts about three years ago, in the summer of 2008. That’s when Isaiah led a coast-to-coast bicycle tour with a nonprofit called Bike & Build, which organizes cross-country bicycle trips to raise money for affordable housing groups. Ever since then, we’ve been dreaming of a Pan-American bike expedition from Alaska to Argentina.

The three of us are brothers and best friends from our time spent working and growing up on our family farm in Starkweather, North Dakota. This dream would be the adventure of our lifetimes. Irresistible. We had one chance to do it with the three of us out of school at the same time. We’ve taken the opportunity.

Each day is consumed with hard riding through some of the most spectacular places between Anchorage and Ushuaia, Argentina, our ultimate destination. And yet we ride with one eye looking homeward, to our local Lake Agassiz Habitat affiliate, which helps folks in need in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota. We want to help build a house with Habitat when we return home next summer. We have met people from all over the world who have been inspired by what we are doing and are kind enough to donate.

What we are doing is not easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. We’ve already endured enough cold, rain, snow, heat, rough roads and big rigs to last us a lifetime. We love what we are doing all the same, not only for the daily blessings of a nomad photojournalist’s life on a bicycle, but also for the ultimate cause that binds us

Seeing beyond the present situation -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-10-06T20:42:14Z

Seeing beyond the present situation

By Kip Scheidler, Habitat for Humanity International’s senior director of global disaster response



	Download this year’s Shelter Report, “Housing Cities after a Disaster.”

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I remember as if it were yesterday what it felt like as I walked through a totally devastated small town in El Salvador just days after the January 2001 earthquake. A few masonry storefronts stood while the side walls of those same stores, made of adobe, lay on the ground. The rest of the structures in town, also made of adobe, were history. The only thing remaining from the 100-plus-year-old Catholic church was the bell, which was suspended from a tree in the church’s plaza. The priest was living under a tarp. More than 90 percent of the town lay in rubble. And yet I wasn’t overcome with a sense of hopelessness.

In that small town, there was clear leadership. The mayor, the priest, business owners and community leaders were able to quickly articulate their vision. They had resources, though limited, and were able to see how what they had — plus what my agency had — could result in a better tomorrow. They could see beyond their present situation.

Contrast that to what I’ve seen in Haiti, where things most often feel overwhelming. Humanitarian veterans who have been in the business far longer than I say they’ve never seen anything like it. There is so much to do, and every move in any direction is intrinsically connected to another complicated issue.

When you go from rural to urban, the issues become very complicated very quickly. Habitat’s 2012 Shelter Report, “Housing Cities after a Disaster,” lays out some of this complexity, makes solid recommendations and hopefully contributes solutions for the future.

We have to learn how to make situations in Port-au-Prince feel a bit more like that village in El Salvador — where a vision is held by the affected population, and organizations like Habitat are seen as part of their solution. We welcome your contributions to the dialogue.

‘Poverty housing affects everyone’ -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-09-30T17:53:36Z

‘Poverty housing affects everyone’

By Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International



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Recently, I was given the honor of delivering the 12th annual John T. Dunlop Lecture at Harvard University. The lecture is sponsored by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. My purpose was to either persuade or remind the business leaders, students, academics, policy makers and others who were gathered that access to affordable housing is a vitally important issue that requires action from all sectors of society. I wanted them to join me in the belief that people of widely varying incomes can be successful homeowners, and I hoped we might leave as better advocates with a renewed sense of urgency for tackling difficult challenges.

My talk focused on three myths that I often hear about affordable housing:

Myth 1: Housing is important, but it is not at the top of the list. The reality is that affordable housing is central to education, health, employment and economic development.

Myth 2: Affordable housing is someone else’s problem. Housing at all economic levels has to be set in the context of community. If we are to provide affordable housing for all, then public, private and social sectors must work together.

Myth 3: Homeownership really isn’t for low-income people. We need the full spectrum of housing products, and people of many income levels can be successful homeowners. At Habitat, we believe that owning a house is a “power move” for many low-income families.

I shared examples of compassionate and ingenious responses concerning shelter for some of those affected by the 2004 tsunami in Asia; of a community in North Carolina that has been transformed from an unsightly center of crime and blight to a thriving and inviting place to live; and about the health, education and livelihood improvements that have resulted from our efforts to provide housing solutions in a village in Brazil.

I find that while almost everyone knows of Habitat, few realize the breadth and depth of our global work so I welcome these chances to remind people that a world of hope starts at home. I urge everyone to consider the effect that stable housing has in communities all around the world. Ponder the fact that poverty housing affects everyone — across demographics — and that it takes everyone to address the challenges of ensuring adequate shelter for all.

With powers combined -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-09-20T19:48:32Z

With powers combined

By Grettell Salazar Chacon, social development director of “Un Techo para mi Pais,” a Habitat for Humanity partner



	Grettell Salazar Chacon spends time with a child after a financial-education workshop in Costa Rica. Learn more about Habitat Costa Rica’s commitment to financial education for its partner families.
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Un Techo para mi Pais (“A Roof for My Country”) mobilizes youth volunteers in Latin America to help some of our region’s most marginalized people improve their quality of life at home. We share many dreams of justice and opportunity with those who work with Habitat for Humanity.

By working in partnership with Habitat Costa Rica, we are able to jointly offer financial-education workshops. The workshops have led to new community leadership — personified in the mothers who struggle each day to develop their families and communities.

Magally Casanova, from La Cuenca, told me she viewed the workshops as “an opportunity on every level. To learn things that will benefit you and your family, to learn to share that information with others, and to meet new people. I am motivated to continue working.”

Magally and many other women here now have the confidence to pass these skills on to others. They have discovered that other communities share similar needs. They have a new understanding of how each has the power to change their own reality, and they have spent time sharing the deep emotion that all of these lessons inspire.

Any development effort that does not give voice to those who live daily in a context of exclusion and vulnerability runs the risk of becoming lost. A voice, truly empowered, is one that is heard without decoration or formality, without prejudice on the part of those who listen. It is in this space that we can meet and re-meet one another in a way that allows us to generate real

‘Participating in a common work’ -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-09-12T17:07:21Z

‘Participating in a common work’




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By Emil Constantinescu, former president of Romania and Habitat for Humanity volunteer

Editor’s note: The former president of Romania, Dr. Emil Constantinescu has been involved with Habitat for Humanity in Romania since the Euro2007 Habitat Build. He traveled with Romanian volunteers to Pascagoula, Miss., in 2008 for the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project and has been a strong supporter of Habitat’s work in the years since. Dr. Constantinescu shares his thoughts on the nature of creating lasting change.

Following the traditions of secularized thinking, most international associations and foundations that dedicate their activities to promoting sustainable peace and understanding in the world seek to identify the lowest common denominator upon which we can agree.

But the solidarity we need to create lasting change comes not only from common understanding or even a shared sense of compassion, but from participating in a common work in the service of a common ideal. I am drawn to the work of Habitat because it rebuilds that idea of human solidarity, even as we are building houses.

Saint-Exupery said that to love means not to look at each other, but to look together in the same direction. The question is from where do each of us begin this inner journey? The answer is to start from where we are, focusing on love and not hatred, on understanding and not disunion.

I believe that we should aim higher than any lowest common denominator. If we want to achieve true peace and understanding between people, we should focus on a higher common denominator: on God inspiring us all, no matter the name we give him in our language or in our faith.

Each of us is called upon to understand the significance of our lives and, above all, to understand God's place in our soul. A lasting change is the one that starts within each of us.

Day of Service -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-09-06T15:49:34Z

Day of Service



	In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama volunteered on a Habitat build site in Washington, D.C., as part of the inaugural 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

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Each year on or around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, tens of thousands of organizations, employers, schools and other groups participate in the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance initiative. Many organize charitable service activities, including volunteer opportunities. Here are 10 of the many ways you can pay tribute and observe this important day with Habitat for Humanity.

1. Volunteer on a build or A Brush With Kindness site through your local affiliate .

2. Join your local family selection committee . Family selection committees assist potential Habitat partner families through the application process and recommend families for Habitat homes.

3. Make an online donation.

4. Sign up for a Global Village trip or RV Care-A-Vanner build.

5. Support your local ReStore: volunteer, donate reusable or surplus building materials, shop!

6. Join — or start — a campus chapter at your school.

7. Make a commitment to engage in World Habitat Day activities on Oct. 3.

8. Organize a fundraising event for your local Habitat affiliate.

9. Become an advocate for military veterans. About 8 percent of veterans serving since Sept. 11 spend more than half their income on housing. Every returning hero deserves a chance at a safe and decent place to live. Visit habitat.org/gov/veterans to learn how you can stand up for veterans and help protect affordable homeownership.

10. Observe a moment of silence.

When you decide on a tribute activity, make sure to enter your pledge at www.911day.org, where you can also find more information on the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance. Be sure to tell us in the comments below about your plans for the day.

Impressions of a first-timer -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-09-01T13:18:31Z

Impressions of a first-timer



	International and domestic volunteer opportunities are offered to Thrivent Financial employees, members and other volunteers through Thrivent Builds Worldwide, a program of Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity.

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By Jennifer DeBruin, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans employee and 2011 Corporate Volunteer Team participant

My first Thrivent Builds trip was an amazing experience. Words can’t describe what a difference the trip has made in my life. Since I’ve returned, my perspective on things is different (more positive), and I have a stronger faith. I was able to learn a lot of new building techniques like how to side a house, use a screw gun and build a deck. However, what really changed my life were the relationships I built and the opportunity to work with others closely as a team.

Our team built two houses in Biloxi, Mississippi, both on stilts, an insurance requirement in the area since Hurricane Katrina. My first day standing on top of the scaffolding was scary, but by the end of the week, it felt natural. I couldn’t have learned what I did without the support, patience and trust of our construction crew, our trip leader, and all the Gulf Coast participants.

After each strenuous but rewarding day on the build, we were able to have some fun team-building activities like eating catfish and all the Southern fixings at Aunt Jenny’s, going on a swamp tour, and just hanging out and getting to know each other better.

I can’t wait to have an opportunity to go on another Thrivent Builds trip. It wasn’t easy leaving my kids for a week, but when I returned, I shared my wonderful experience with them and they understood. My daughter was so moved by my stories that she asked to bring a piece of the siding and photos I had from the trip to share with her first grade class. The class thought it was neat that there was help for families who didn’t have homes.

What does home mean to you? -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-08-09T20:28:21Z

What does home mean to you?




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It’s a question that Habitat staff are blessed to hear answers to almost daily.

We’ve heard a partner family in Georgia describe their new home as “a foundation” for their future. A teenager in Las Vegas remembers when he was 9 and his mother put in hundreds of hours of labor on a home that would create “a fresh start for my family.” In Madagascar, incrementally building a safe, stable home led to a couple’s “new beginning” and a rediscovered “hope to have a good life.”

Comfort. Security. Favorite family memories. A place for sleepovers. A place of refuge. Habitat volunteers, supporters and partner families have told us many ways they think of home.

What about you? Leave a comment and let us know: What does home mean to you?

A community comes together -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-07-25T20:45:45Z

A community comes together

By the Robles-Leon family, future Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity homeowners



	Read the story of Carney Place from the beginning.
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Editor’s Note: The Robles-Leon family will move into their home in Carney Place, a new subdivision of Habitat homes in Asheville, N.C., later this year. Andrea, their 19-year-old daughter, included comments from her mother Luisa, father Samuel and 16-year-old brother Sammy in this story of the family’s journey to Habitat.

We came to the United States from Guadalajara, Mexico, eight years ago in search of a better life. My mother learned English and became a citizen three years ago, and my father is a legal resident. She is a housekeeper at Haverty’s Furniture, and he is an auto mechanic.

When we moved here, we bought a mobile home where we have lived for eight years. For the first eight months, my parents didn’t have a bed and slept on the floor in a sleeping bag. We have two bedrooms, one for my parents and one for me, so my brother sleeps on a bed in the living room. It’s really crowded.

My mother saw an advertisement for Habitat at our church, St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, and she had heard from friends what a great program it was. She got the application but was nervous to turn it in. Then when she did turn it in, she kept asking me to call to make sure they got the application. When we found out we were approved, she got very emotional and cried and cried and said “Thank God!” a lot.

We’ve gotten to know some of our new neighbors. The people who are going to be living next door to us have two little kids, and we were joking that when they need a babysitter my brother and I can provide that.

Mom and I have worked some of our sweat equity hours at the ReStore, and my dad has worked on our house. He says that one of the things he enjoys most is meeting all the volunteers who are part of building the house. Every time they have lunch, he will pray and thank them for all their hard work in building his house.

My dad says that everyone who makes up Habitat is always joyful and happy working for others. He says everyone treats each other like brothers and sisters. They don’t see race or a language barrier; they just see this community working together.

Going home again -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-07-20T20:09:30Z

Going home again

By Myriam Anderson, Global Village volunteer in Paraguay

	Learn more about Habitat Paraguay.

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Editor’s note: This summer, five young adults — born in Paraguay and adopted 20 years ago by different North American families — returned to their roots as Habitat for Humanity volunteers in Paraguay. Myriam Anderson went as one of those volunteers on the Global Village trip, helping to build the home of Florencia Caceres and Nelson Riveros.

While Paraguay lies in the center of South America, it has never really been the center of many people’s radar. If it hadn’t been for the fact that I was born there, it probably wouldn’t ring a bell for me.

But I was born there, and I soon found myself at Boston’s Logan Airport, waiting to board a plane that would take me to my homeland — traveling the route in reverse that first brought me to the United States two decades ago. Around 12 hours later, our plane touched down on my native soil.

On the first day of work, my newfound friends and I had to dig up that same soil. We had to break through roots, several pounds of dirt and our own sweat to create the foundation for the home. For someone who didn’t know how to dig in a sandbox — much less make the base of a house — this was a daunting task. How on earth was I going to do this?

Then I looked over at the family we were building the house with. The mother, father and their three boys were there working every day. A few days prior, they had invited us into their current, small home and shared their afternoon meal with us. This house was about them. It didn’t matter what I could and couldn’t do, or what I had never done before. What mattered is that they would have a place to live, to raise their children, to invite friends and family over, to share their love for each other.

Five days later, the foundation was complete, and the first few layers of bricks were set in place where the walls would go. Then as quickly as the project started, our time with the family suddenly came to an end. Many tears and laughs were exchanged that day and will never be forgotten. We had created a new family within the family of Habitat for Humanity.

Family bonds like that never break. I’m already planning the return trip.

‘By the grace of God’ -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-07-12T14:29:15Z

By the grace of God’

By Margaret Gambatu, resident of Nlapa village, Malawi



	To learn more, visit Habitat Malawi’s country profile page.
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Editor’s note: In the southern African country of Malawi, AIDS has orphaned more than 500,000 children, including 12-year-old Margaret Gambatu. After the death of her parents, Margaret became a caretaker for her 10-year-old brother, 8-year-old sister and 90-year-old grandmother. Last year, Margaret’s family received a safe, new house through Habitat Malawi’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children program – another Habitat home among 52 so far in the village of Nlapa.

My friends and family call me Maggie. I lost both my parents to AIDS, so I live with my grandmother. And I live with my brother, Sankho, and my sister, Grace. We don’t have much at all. One dress is all the clothes I have. It was given to me a year ago for school.

Before we got the Habitat house, we lived in the house nearby that had big holes in the roof and mud floors. Some of the walls had fallen. We had no mats, so we slept on the dirt. When it would rain, the house leaked. Everything would get wet. All our clothes. My schoolbooks. And we would have to go outside under the veranda to try and stay dry.

We were not safe. One night when Grace and I were sleeping, a thief came toward the house. But Sankho was awake and outside, saw him, and shouted for help. I was so scared and glad that the man went away.

I like the new Habitat house because of the cement floor, the paint and the iron-sheet roof. We are safe, and we don’t get wet when it rains. The first night in the new house, I slept so well. It made me so happy.

Volunteers came from Canada to help build this house. I was so excited! They were passing bricks, and we would play games with them. We taught them words in our language, Chichewa.

Our friends and others in the community ask us why people helped build this house for us because it is one of the most beautiful houses in the village. So I tell them, “It was by the grace of God.”

Transforming slums in the sky -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-06-28T13:47:51Z

Transforming slums in the sky

By Lucas Wijntjes, e-media and Internet specialist for Habitat for Humanity’s Europe and Central Asia region


	View a slideshow of Habitat’s work on high-rise buildings in Europe and Central Asia.
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Throughout neighborhoods in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the words “crumbling” and “apartment buildings” frequently seem inseparable. Many of these high-rises, built during the Communist era, have fallen into disrepair. Leaking roofs, mold and unstable walls are just a few of the problems residents face in these types of buildings.

Habitat is at work in more than 20 countries in this region and has helped more than 2,500 families in the area facing this specific problem. Take a look at a photo slideshow that illustrates the need and details how Habitat assists families to create safer, healthier living environments.

President Carter: Decent housing is a right -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

2011-06-21T17:00:45Z

President Carter: Decent housing is a right



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For 28 years, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn have faithfully volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. They have built homes in communities around the world and have seen the changes that are born when people from all faiths and backgrounds come together.

In the current issue of The Guardian online, President Carter shares his thoughts about decent housing and about how to create sweeping change. It’s about cooperation and sustainability, he says, first changing how we think to change how we act.

Old wheels, new houses -- Habitat for Humanity, Int'l

2011-06-07T19:41:44Z

Old wheels, new houses

By Marcia Rundle, Habitat for Humanity International's director of Cars for Homes™

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Related photo slideshow: Cars for Homes: Old wheels, new houses

A decade ago, I never could have imagined I would be helping Habitat for Humanity by acquiring and selling used cars. But when we established the national Cars for Homes program in the United States, we created a way for people to donate their used cars, trucks, boats, RVs and other vehicles to help build homes and improve neighborhoods right in their local communities.

When a vehicle donation is made to Cars for Homes, the local Habitat for Humanity organization in the donor’s zip code receives the funds generated from the resale or recycling of the vehicle. This has resulted in more than $10 million in local funding in the United States. Vehicle donors also have helped to support Habitat’s work in countries such as Armenia, Egypt and El Salvador when funds generated from the program are designated for use outside the United States. Habitat receives more than 80 percent from the sale of donated vehicles after all fees are paid.

Our personal vehicles play such a big role in our daily lives. When it comes time to part with them, a donation to Cars for Homes gives them a second life that also helps families live in decent homes.

No greater reward -- Habitat for Humanity, Int'l

2011-05-23T16:36:13Z

No greater reward

By John Abraham, Habitat for Humanity India volunteer, Habitat Global Hero and Indian film star




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I am no stranger to the spotlight after working as an actor and model for more than 10 years. In 2006, it was my turn to be the captive audience. That was in Lonavala, western India, when I volunteered on a Habitat build during the Carter Work Project. I met former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and I was amazed by his energy.

It was also then that I realized the value of a home. The lady of the house which I helped to build came to me, smiled and said, “Thank you.” Simple gratitude for a small gesture — that is the greatest gift you can receive from anybody.

I have a media platform, and I want to exercise it responsibly. I have partnered with Habitat India and launched a campaign called “Join John’s Brigade.” Our aim is to inspire action from students, young professionals, the young-at-heart and all those who think that everyone deserves a decent place to call home.

Since 1983, Habitat has changed the lives of more than 35,000 families in India by providing safe, decent and affordable homes. The number of people who need decent housing in India remains staggering. Given the great need, Habitat India has launched IndiaBUILDS — A World Of Hope Campaign to tap Indian and global resources for serving 100,000 families by 2015. The areas of growth are in housing needs, advocacy, program sustainability, disaster mitigation, and response and capacity building.

Fulfilling the vision is a team effort. The Habitat India team, corporate leaders on the IndiaBUILDS advisory committee led by Mrs. Rajashree Birla and the dynamic Women IndiaBUILDS committee members are all pulling their weight. I may be the face of Habitat in India, but they are the real drivers.

We want people to know that Habitat exists in a very big, very credible way. Habitat has got a great cause and a sustainable model.

I believe in causes — animal rights, medical care and even fitness, which I am particular about. There is personal satisfaction in these.

But there is no greater reward than when someone thanks you for building their home. It is similar to the feeling you get when people said they like you in a film. Only the joy and gratification are much, much more.

The Women Build experience -- Habitat for Humanity, Int'l

2011-05-06T14:24:45Z

The Women Build experience

By Seyller Robertson, Habitat for Humanity volunteer and Lowe’s employee



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Editor’s note: This past week, women across the United States helped build more than 250 homes as part of National Women Build Week, which is sponsored by Lowe’s. Seyller Robertson is a Habitat volunteer in Charlotte, N.C.

Before I became a Lowe’s employee, I volunteered a few times on Habitat for Humanity builds. I enjoyed the experience. But since I only volunteered for a few days, I didn’t get to see the full impact Habitat has on our community.

Last year, I was privileged to be a leader for my company on a Women Build home. I got Lowe’s stores excited about participating and rallied them all the way to the build. It was really neat seeing my team members build a home right beside the woman and her family who were selected to receive it. The experience had such an impact on me because I had an opportunity to really get to know the woman, her mother and her three children.

Each day that I was there, I would speak to the grandmother of the family. She would tell stories about the great neighborhood that she was able to raise her children in. All this grandmother wanted was for her child and her grandchildren to have that same memorable experience of growing up in a safe, loving home. After several stories about gardening, childhood memories and family holidays in their home, I saw the whole picture. It’s not just about donating money because it’s the right thing to do. It’s caring about your community because you want your neighbors to have that same experience of raising a family in a safe and affordable home that you had.

I’m so privileged that my eyes were open to this experience. I’m proud that my company and Habitat help create the American dream for families in our communities.

Feel free to ask -- Habitat for Humanity, Int'l

2011-04-18T16:04:52Z

Feel free to ask

By Henry Randolph, AmeriCorps alum and Habitat Philadelphia’s volunteer coordinator



	Learn more about Habitat’s AmeriCorps program.

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I love it when someone asks me: “What’s AmeriCorps?”

I applied to the AmeriCorps National Direct program for 2010 because I knew it would give me the chance to work with volunteers in an experiential-education setting. I was thrilled when I learned I would serve my AmeriCorps year as a construction assistant at the Habitat affiliate in Philadelphia, a city whose considerable housing issues are matched by its cultural vibrancy.

Construction work was an entirely new world for me, but I immediately found kindred spirits in the other AmeriCorps members at our affiliate. And I didn’t mind the small living stipend because I quickly earned a number of other things:

Flexibility. Working as a construction assistant meant preparing for the day’s projects on short notice and changing plans from minute to minute, all while working hard to give multiple volunteer crews a good experience. Part construction worker and part affordable-housing advocate, part teacher and part student — I learned to do it all.

Humility. I had to teach myself to accept the “Homer Simpson moments” when I slammed my thumb with a hammer or found my gloves and hardhat cloaked in spray-foam insulation, which invariably happened while teaching an eager volunteer how the “experts” do it. It’s trial by fire and a reminder that our work is about much more than immediate perfection.

A greater understanding of what it means to give of yourself. Many AmeriCorps members from this affiliate have gone on to use their skills and experiences at sustainable building companies and social justice organizations. My service actually led me to become Habitat Philadelphia’s new volunteer coordinator. Although I’m not on site swinging hammers any more, my work still centers on volunteers, and I realize how unique Habitat is in the realm of builders.

I love it when someone asks me about AmeriCorps. I tell them about being stretched and challenged, about dirt and noise and roughed-up hands. I tell them it’s a big commitment, a big payoff for everyone involved — and an experience I love sharing any chance I get.

Building Confidence -- Habitat for Humanity, Int'l

2011-04-04T18:48:47Z

Building Confidence

Homeowner Deneen Price shares what she has learned from her experiences with Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity.