“Volunteering with Habitat is a great way to make friends, put something positive back into the community, and build your own knowledge and fitness through construction.”
Meet Hannah, a Crew Leader Construction Volunteer.
Hannah has a background in international relations, sustainable development, and public health. As a child, she became interested in woodworking and learning D.I.Y. skills from her dad. This interest took her abroad to work on a sustainable latrine project.
She moved from Buffalo the last year and was looking to find a new community of folks and continue to grow her skills.
“The opportunity to physically contribute my skills and knowledge to help build a lasting house that will serve many families throughout generations is a huge motivation for me. Affordable and sustainable housing is an integral area of concern in our society. I feel gratified that I can channel my passion for woodworking into a project to help families succeed.”
One of her favorite things about volunteering with Habitat is the fellow volunteers and staff. She shares, “everyone is extremely friendly, funny, trustworthy, and eager to teach. It has been extremely rewarding to get to know everyone, learn from them, and build something together to give back to the community”.
Her advice for a new volunteer is to be curious, willing to get your hands dirty, and open to learning new skills. “Ultimately, you get out of it what you put into it, so always feel free to ask questions, be open to trying new things, and be curious to learn the how and why of how houses work!”