Volunteering at Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity

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HATTIESBURG AREA HFH

WOMEN BUILD 2010

The Women Build planning committee is seeking two types of women volunteers: those interested in being trained team leads and those preferring to work as general volunteers under supervision.

We are also seeking to expand our committee for Women Build. Volunteers serve on a committee which meets periodically throughout the year to help raise funds, coordinate volunteers, organize projects and more. The Women Build promotes organizational diversity within Habitat for Humanity with a goal to sustain HFH over the long term.

To get involved, contact the office. info@hattiesburghabitat.org. Click here for more information and access to Women Build volunteer forms.

2009 Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity (HAHFH) hosted it’s very first volunteer appreciation dinner on November 9, 2009 with over 175 volunteers in attendance. It was a time of reflection and thanksgiving, music and laughter, and recognition and appreciation.

During 2009, HAHFH was able to make seven families dream of homeownership a reality by building seven homes in the Hattiesburg area. Our work was only able to be completed due to our dedicated volunteer base in the local community and from many out of state volunteers who came during their spring break trips in 2009. The families who were served included:

*Gwen Mobley, whose house, sponsored by UPS, was completed in March 2009.

*Connie Harris, whose house was sponsored by out of state Collegiate Challenge groups and completed in March of 2009.

*Anita Carter, Wilma Carter, Monica Stallworth, Bridgette Ferguson, and Barbara Walker whose houses were sponsored by over 13 community churches in the Hattiesburg area. Their houses were part of the Celeste Place weekend build in September 2009. Their tentative move-in date is for December 2009.

Over 2,000 volunteers were applauded during the awards banquet which was accompanied by the music of Charles Carter of Word of Faith church and a great spaghetti buffet from Southern Oaks House & Gardens. Many community organizations donated door prizes and items to stuff in goody bags for each volunteer to take home, including Chili’s of Hattiesburg, Seattle Drip, and McAllisters.

Please accept our thanks for investing your time and money in our partner families, and the vision of a community where every man, woman and child has the right to a safe and healthy place to call home. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just building houses, we’re building hope for a better future.

Some of the awards we presented during the banquet included:

Sister Carmelita Stinn received the Welcome Mat Award for her warm heart and welcoming spirit during the Celeste Place Weekend build

“The build was 72 hours, but Sister Carmelita was out there for 78,” said Arthur Lumzy, a member of the HAHFH board of directors, who presented Sister Carmelita with her award.

Golden Hard Hat Award - Terry Peters.jpg

Terry Peters received the Golden Hard Hat award for assuring the jobsite was always safe.

“Anyone who walked past the First Baptist, St. Thomas, and Sacred Heart house was bound to spot our recipient of the Golden Hard Hat Award in his lime green safety shirt and bright orange hard hat. We are not sure when he ever left the jobsite because there was never a time when you didn't see this award winner working with the volunteers, encouraging them, and assuring the jobsite was always safe,” said Cheryl Fluker, a Habitat homeowner who presented Mr. Peters with his award.

Mike Devereaux received one of our most precious awards, the Marvin Hayes Award, given in honor of one of HAHFH’s most beloved homeowner, Mr. Marvin Hayes, who passed away after living in his home for only one year. He was a great man of faith, love, and hope. Marvin was always willing to give his testimony of how God brought him from a very low place and blessed his life richly because of His mercy.

We were very proud to present our first Marvin Hayes award to Mr. Mike Devereaux. He is a great witness to the Christian faith and is one of the most dedicated and selfless of all of our volunteers.

Billy Pierce received the 2009 Volunteer of the Year Award. Mr. Pierce is a volunteer who has shown Habitat and our Hattiesburg community what it truly means to put “faith into action.” Billy has shown his love of Christ by continuously putting the construction tools in his own hands and building a home for a Habitat family in need. He spent countless hours behind the scenes during the planning process of the Habitat blitz build. He has been a steadfast presence on the construction site before, during, and after the build. Billy is an inspiration to all who work alongside him.

Other Volunteer Awards that were presented at the banquet included:

Office Volunteer of the Year: Val Sharfner

Vendor of the Year: ABC Supply

Transportation Czar: Julian Davis

Most Photogenic: SFC Patrick Hamber

Golden Plunger Award: Lon & Josh Mathias

Spirit Stick Awards:

First Baptist Church: Charles Welch

Temple Baptist Church: Scott Hollingsworth

West Point Church: Wade Murray

United Methodist Churches #1: Matt Johnson

United Methodist Churches #2: Russell Bearden

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Supervisor On Site (SOS)

Challenge yourself to become one of Hattiesburg’s finest builders, improve your leadership skills and have a blast! We invite you to join our amazing SOS team.

We appreciate your interest in Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. Your involvement with Habitat allows our family partners the opportunity to learn building skills, patience, and cooperation. We built five houses in 2008 as a part of the Carter Work Project. To date in 2009, student volunteers built one house as part of this year's Collegiate Challenge - an alternative spring break program (students pictured at top of page).

Supervisors on Site provide hands on leadership during the construction of the houses, while working with family partners and sponsor volunteers. Our current SOSs understand the Habitat mission, communicate the principles and goals of Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity, are patient teachers and are committed to giving back to the community.

The qualifications are modest:

Possess a positive attitude.
Bring a cooperative spirit.
Help us provide a safe building experience.
Read and understand HAHFH safety books.
Learn to operate power tools safely and efficiently.
Encourage the proper use of safety equipment.
Demonstrate safe building procedures.
Become proficient at one or more building tasks.
Be willing to “see one, do one, teach one.”
Provide motivation and encouragement to a diverse group of family partners and volunteers.
Assist in providing a productive and fun experience for all volunteers.

We do not ask for a specific commitment. We merely ask that when you arrive on site you are prepared to participate in a safety briefing, drink plenty of water, exercise muscles that you forgot you had, and above all, know that you are joining an exceptional group of people that get far more than they give. If interested, contact the staff.

Beyond the build...

Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity offers great opportunities to reach out to your community beyond the building of houses.

The Habitat HomeStore is a retail store operated by Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity to provide a new source of funding to build Habitat homes in the Hattiesburg area. The Habitat HomeStore sells new and used home-related items and building materials at generous discounts to the public. All proceeds are used to construct more Habitat homes to sell at zero percent interest to people who may not be able to afford a conventional mortgage.

Habitat HomeWORKS classes will be coming soon. They are offered to partner families helping them to learn valuable skills they will need during and after they build and purchase their homes. Course topics include construction basics, home maintenance, financial management, healthy living, gardening and more. Classes are offered weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.

Volunteer opportunities include: sharing your knowledge with others in a small class setting, providing child care for parents attending classes. If interested, contact the office.

Habitat Office Volunteers – Have free time on weekdays? Join us at the Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity offices for ongoing and special projects. We are always looking for reliable, self-motivated people to help. If interested, contact the office.

Volunteers are always needed at Habitat. Use skills you already have, or learn new skills by helping to build a Habitat home, working in the office, assisting with a fundraising event, or on a committee. Habitat works because of the commitment of its volunteers; volunteers are rewarded in seeing the fruits of their labor. You can help by calling the office or emailing: info@hattiesburghabitat.org To help us learn more about you, please fill out the Volunteer Information Form, available in PDF or Microsoft Word formats.

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Hattiesburg Area Habitat thanks its Collegiate Challenge Student Volunteers!!"

“I loved the experience overall. I enjoyed working with everyone…good times, good laughs, good people!” --Collegiate Challenge Volunteer

More than 195 students from across the country traveled to Hattiesburg for their spring break to build a Habitat for Humanity house and a few sheds for Habitat families. The students were participants of Collegiate Challenge, a Habitat for Humanity program that provides year-round opportunities for youth to use their vacations to help build homes.

From March 1^st through March 28^th students from the University of Southern Mississippi, Wingate University, University of North Carolina – Asheville, Kentucky State University, Rocky Hill School, University of Massachusetts, Shawnee State University, and the University of Chicago helped to build one house and multiple sheds with Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity.

“We truly appreciate the work of these youth volunteers,” said Andrea Dixon, Habitat’s Executive Director. “Choosing to spend their spring break with our affiliate is such an honor and we are grateful to have the opportunity to host these students this year. Their unselfish service to our community will make a difference by helping Hattiesburg families in need obtain safe, decent and affordable homes.”

“I am completely honored to have been able to volunteer here and meet the family. This was an experience I will never forget!” --Collegiate Challenge Volunteer

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Along with volunteers, Habitat is also grateful to receive many types of donations.

Hattiesburg Area Habitat for Humanity - 601-582-4663 - info@HattiesburgHabitat.org