If you haven’t already heard, this week is National Volunteer Week. It’s a time to recognize the hard work and dedication of individuals willing to give their time and energy to their community and to make the world a better place for all. Here at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, we are especially grateful to our volunteers and the impact they have on Twin Cities families. One of Habitat’s most well-known volunteers may have said it best:
“Throughout my life, I've seen the difference that volunteering efforts can make in people's lives. I know the personal value of service as a local volunteer.” -Jimmy Carter
Our volunteers are impacting families all over the Twin Cities every day. Whether it’s installing a window in a new home through our homebuilding program, repainting the exterior of a current homeowner’s home through our A Brush With Kindness Program (ABWK), greeting applicants at our offices as an office volunteer or helping a family adjust to life as homeowners through our Neighborhood Family Partner Program, our volunteers consistently show their value of service and their dedication to making affordable housing a matter of conscience for all people.
Without our volunteers, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity would not be able to build 50-60 new homes a year, serve more than 125 current homeowners a year through our ABWK program, or help hundreds of families a year avoid foreclosure through our Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program. It is through our volunteers’ help that we accomplished these goals in the past, and to help us dream even bigger for the future of affordable housing in the Twin Cities.
So, thank you Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity volunteers. Thank you for your heart of grace, for your soul generated by love and for your service to others. We think you’re pretty “great.”
“Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love...” -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Here are the top 5 reasons to volunteer with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity:
Giving Back By building with Twin Cities Habitat you can have an immediate and real impact on your community. Repairing a home or building a home benefits the family that lives there and all the families that live around that home at the same time.
Resume Building If you’re fresh out of college, or you’re just looking to add a bit to your resume, volunteering is a great way to get involved and show it on your resume. Not only does it show that you have the initiative to do work that you aren’t getting paid for; volunteering let’s potential employers know that you care about your community. This is especially valuable if you’re looking for work in the nonprofit world.
Networking Not only could volunteering add to your experience; you will likely meet interesting people with similar values to your own. Also, people who volunteer tend to be active in their communities and well connected. You may meet someone who ends up helping you get a job, or someone with valuable skills and experience that you could learn from.
Exercise Most of us spend our days working in offices, likely sitting the whole time. Plenty of studies show how dangerous that can be to your health over time. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend the day on your feet, getting tangible work done you can see and be proud of at the end of the day? One of the best parts of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity is the change of pace from the usual day in the office.
Learning Practical Skills Getting out of the office to volunteer not only has health benefits. You could also learn practical skills that you’ll likely use around your own house. There’s something satisfying about laying down bathroom tile or installing a sink and knowing that you could have paid someone to do it, but instead you did it yourself. Regular volunteers with Habitat learn a plethora of skills that come in very handy when you want to work on your own home.
Habitat for Humanity is best known for building homes for low-income families. However, homebuilding is just one aspect of the work that Twin Cities...
Since the A Brush With Kindness (ABWK) program first launched in 1998, the staff, partners and volunteers have had one goal in mind: to help Habitat...
Becky Engen : 9:53 AM on January 20, 2015
Jared Laabs : 8:49 AM on October 28, 2017