Volunteers are vital to our mission. With their help, we can support more families and build more homes. Whether it be on the construction site, in the ReStores, or on one of our committees, our volunteers are the backbone of this organization.
Here are five reasons why you should get involved at Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. For more information, check out the evidence brief on the Value of Volunteering from Habitat for Humanity International.
Learn new skills
Many of our volunteers learn things on the site that they never thought possible! For many of our volunteers, helping at a Team Build or with a group is the first time that they have ever picked up a power tool. This helps our volunteers build lifelong skills that are applicable to many areas of their life.
“I had never used power tools, but after having clear instructions, I stared using a chop saw and I loved it!” said one volunteer. “The Green Mountain Habitat supervisors accommodate to your comfort level and your experience, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
Our ReStore Managers and Construction Supervisors are knowledgeable in their areas, but also know how to work with our volunteers to give them the best experience possible.
While many of our volunteers report learning new technical skills, they also improve their soft skills as well. Research shows that 67% of volunteers surveyed report an increase in leadership skills, and 80% report an increase in both communication and leadership abilities.
The benefits from volunteering translate into skill development and job opportunities for those who are job searching. According to research, individuals who volunteer are 27% more likely to find a job than non-volunteers. Another study found that 82% of hiring managers reported that they were more likely to choose an applicant with volunteer experience than without.
For those that are looking to learn something new and improve their skills, volunteering is a great place to start.
Volunteer according to your schedule
The Volunteer Program at Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity is designed to fit with individuals’ schedules so they can volunteer when it is convenient and accessible.
Some of our volunteers work every day, while others volunteer once a month. We offer volunteer slots at our three ReStores during operating hours, so you can select a time and date that works best for you.
Our construction sites are typically open on weekdays from 8:00a -3:00p. While construction can be varied and timelines change, it is best to check our online signup form for the most up-to-date information. Nonetheless, we have several projects in the pipeline, and we will need as many volunteers as possible to get the job done!
Visit our volunteer page to sign up for a shift!
Volunteering helps you become happier and healthier
Research has shown that volunteering is associated with improved health and well-being, including increased longevity, adoption of healthy lifestyles, and reduction in depression and stress. The increased movement, social connection, and problem solving that comes with volunteering contributes to positive health outcomes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. By spending time in service to others, volunteers report feeling a sense of meaning which can have a stress-reducing effect.
In many cases, volunteers are interacting with a diverse group of individuals with various backgrounds and life experiences. These experiences help volunteers expand their social networks and worldviews.
In one study, 20% of elderly volunteers reported that their health was better since joining a volunteer program, while 50% of volunteers reported that they were overall “better off” since joining a program.
“We exist to make life better for other people. And, if we can help them achieve their ultimate goal of owning their own home, that is rewarding to us,” said a volunteer on our Family Support Committee.
Apply your skills in a new context
Many of our volunteers have interests in construction or sections within the ReStores. For example, some of our veteran volunteers are retired construction workers!
Dick Shasteen, longtime volunteer and member of the self-proclaimed “Geezer Team”, is a retired project manager from IBM who now leads his team building houses twice a week. He applies his skills from his career directly to his work with Green Mountain Habitat.
Jane Stickney, member of the Family Support Committee, was a teacher and guidance counselor, and she said that her career was the perfect training for her work on the committee. Her love of teaching, encouraging students, and helping her students learn has been helpful in working with partner families to navigate the journey of homeownership.
“I get more out of volunteering than I put in because I meet people I never would have met and who are dealing with issues I couldn’t imagine,” said Jane. “It’s so nice to be part of seeing the families achieve their goal of owning their own simple, decent home and leaving unhealthy housing behind.”
Our ReStore Managers and Construction staff can help volunteers work on projects that interest them and apply their skills to their work with Green Mountain Habitat.
Help the local community
Volunteering with Green Mountain Habitat will strengthen our community here in Northwest Vermont.
Our construction volunteers help significantly reduce the cost of the homes for our partner families due to the volunteer labor. Because we sell the homes to the partner families at cost, the more volunteer labor we have, the more affordable the home will be for the family.
At our ReStores, our volunteers play a key role in the day-to-day operations of the stores. They help stock shelves, test electronics, price items, and more. Their work helps us keep our stores operating at maximum capacity, so we can raise more money for building affordable homes. Every sale directly impacts the construction sites.
Volunteering has an impact on the broader community, not just the organization where the person is volunteering. Individuals who formally volunteer through a nonprofit are more likely to help their neighbors and have a greater sense of identity and connection to their community.
A robust volunteer community also contributes to the resilience of a community because neighbors know that they can count on their neighbors in times of need.
“We are driven by Habitat’s mission. We know that whether I help customers buy a couch at the ReStore or my husband helps build houses, we are helping families,” said one ReStore volunteer. “When you work with the families to build their homes, you really understand the impact that having a Green Mountain Habitat home will have on them, especially their children. “
To learn more about our volunteer program, visit our volunteer page for more information. For additional questions, contact our Volunteer Manager volunteer@vermonthabitat.org.
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