Everyone deserves access to reasonably priced housing. Unfortunately, some families are unable to realize the dream of owning a home, even while working full-time jobs. Thankfully, Habitat for Humanity exists to provide these families with the opportunity to own a home at a price that they can afford. With more than 1500 local chapters in the U.S., Habitat is a great way to help others achieve the dream of home ownership.
Give Back to Your Community
When it comes to making a difference right where you live, Habitat is hard to beat. Local Habitat organizations are often established at the county level. If there isn’t a chapter in your county, there is likely to be one close by. Recipients of Habitat homes are local residents who live and work in the community where the home is built. In fact, the homeowner families serve with Habitat as a part of receiving a home, so chances are decent that you will work alongside them.
Learn Handyman Skills that can be Used at Home
As a homeowner, you never know when a need will arise to repair your home. In such a time, it is useful to have the skills to perform the repair or at least know enough to choose a competent contractor to make the repair. Serving with Habitat gives you the opportunity to learn about a variety of handyman disciplines including roofing, siding, flooring, and installing drywall. These are skills that you could put to use on your own home, after gaining the appropriate amount of experience.
Building Relationships as well as Homes
When you think of places to meet new people, it’s not likely that a Habitat construction site is the first that comes to mind. However, Habitat can be an ideal location to begin building relationships with others. One reason for this is that most of the people serving there are passionate about the same cause and find value in giving back to the community. This means that not only do they have some shared interests, but they also share some of the same values. Besides this, there are typically a number of new people helping out each week. Habitat is a common place for groups and organizations to serve. With different groups serving each week, you would be hard-pressed to find a week when there wasn’t an interesting new person to meet.
Sources
“Habitat for Humanity Affiliates,” Habitat for Humanity International.