Volunteer Stories!
What makes Gwinnett Habitat special?
We asked some longtime volunteers this question.
Kathleen Torrance
It’s the concept of partnership. It brings future homeowners, volunteers, Habitat staff, and the community into a partnership with God and each other.
The homeowners are the first to arrive and last to leave. They’re working on a personal dream, yet they share it with hundreds of other people. Volunteers come from all walks of life, some without knowing anyone on the site. They work as if it were their own house.
The Habitat staff members are deeply committed to the homeowners they serve, and remain a part of their lives long after the house is completed.
Neighbors stop by to chat or shared baked goods. Subcontractors go the extra mile, and officials work with us to find solutions.
And it all works because God provides the people we need on any given day, the skills to do the work, and His spirit of cooperation and peace.
Rick Damato
One of the paths of my Christian walk led me to study Jesus’ call to tithe our treasure, time and talent. Treasure and time were easy to understand, but I struggled with the talent aspect. What talent could I bring to bear in Christian ministry?
While I was running a roofing supply outlet, a volunteer named Frank Barker asked us to donate some shingles for Gwinnett Habitat’s second build in 1989. I’ve been a Habitat volunteer ever since.
I had made a simple prayer that was answered: “Show me how to use my talent, Lord.”
Habitat volunteers discover talents they didn’t know about. I’ve learned a lot of new building skills and seen thousands of volunteers do likewise. I’ve had joy of working with other volunteers all over the South to build homes in partnership with people in need of simple, decent housing. And not just the South, but also South Korea and South Africa.
I wouldn’t trade a single purple fingernail or sore muscle I earned on a build site. And the faces of the children who now live in the homes we built will be with me all the days of my life.
After the completion of every home, we ask our volunteers to share their experience. Here are some short takes on the highlights of working on a Gwinnett Habitat home.
“Seeing a variety of people working together and meeting new people.”
“Working on a team with co-workers, building relationships.”
“Knowing that I made a difference.”
“Feeling like I was doing something important.”
“Team work and respect.”
“The entire experience was filled with rewarding and heart-warming experiences. It was a good feeling to give back and help others.”
According to a recent survey, 92.3% of our volunteers said they’d like to come out and build with Gwinnett Habitat again!
We hope you’ll join our volunteers and find out how great it feels to make a difference!