Tuesday, 14 June 2022
Habitat for Humanity Build Day team It may not surprise you to know this about me, but I have a fascination with houses. Old turn-of-the-century homes with sprawling gardens and a large front porch where I can envision the homeowner sipping a glass of sweet tea on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Modern homes with sleek lines, stainless steel appliances and furnished with minimalist décor in shades of cool blues and smoky greys. I even like dated homes with their vintage vibes of coral backsplashes, checkered linoleum, and a wood panelled basement. If it’s got good bones, I can see past the creaky stairs and shabby shag carpeting and envision what a new owner could do to renovate it.
But the true joy I derive from my career as a realtor is not just the houses, it’s about the people who inhabit them. The purchase and sale of a home usually aligns with big life decisions. Whether my clients are purchasing a new home to accommodate a growing family, or selling one to downsize to a smaller space, everyone has a story, and each one fascinates me. It’s the people I meet, that I may otherwise not have known, and the life stories they share with me that I love the most about my job.
In May 2022, when I was presented with the opportunity to work on a build project for Habitat for Humanity, it felt like such an obvious fit for me. Not only does it align with my business and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, it’s also a beautiful way to serve my community, by providing a tangible resource to a family in need.
Part of Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to provide housing for all. They believe that access to safe, decent, and affordable housing is a basic human right that should be available to everyone. They believe in the worth and dignity of every human being and respect the people they serve.
This really resonated with me, so I got to work assembling a team of ten people who collectively agreed to donate both time and money to participate in a build project. We had so much fun working together to construct a shed on the property of a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom semi-detached home in North Welland.
The Joy of Giving Back
What’s especially wonderful is that 100% of the money we donated to participate in our project went directly to purchase the building supplies we were using. That direct connection with the home gave us an immediate sense of accomplishment and made the labour-intensive work fun, because we felt like what we were collectively doing was truly making a difference.
I also had the pleasure of meeting the new homeowner. As the mother of a young family, she also shared her story with me and was so appreciative of all our efforts. They had been on the waiting list for a home for two years since the initial plans to build in 2020 were stalled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One thing I was truly impressed by was how well the project was organized by the Habitat for Humanity on-site staff. They gave us an introduction into how the program works and provided us opportunities to ask questions. There were lots of instruction and good communication between the volunteers and the team leader. They supplied us with the resources we needed, along with water throughout the day and a hearty lunch prepared by their volunteers.
A few of the people who came to participate were so touched by the spirit of community and good will, they wanted to continue working with Habitat for Humanity as volunteers on future projects.
All in all, it was a great experience, and I would absolutely do it again. And if you’ve got more time than money, you don’t have to sponsor a Build Day to contribute, you can serve as a volunteer.
For more information on how to sponsor a Build Day or become a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, visit them at: https://www.habitatniagara.ca,
