This story was originally published in our 2016 Fall Newsletter.
Ashwinee Kulkarni had never helped to build a home, or done any construction, until she volunteered at the GMHfH Harrington Village site last year. She was going through a rough time and thought that volunteering might be helpful.
“It was cool the first day I volunteered because it was the first day for any volunteers at the second Harrington Village duplex, and only the foundation of the house was there. We started out by organizing the site and then we started hammering floor boards. It was amazing to see that a couple I know, Jon and Jenn Ayers, were the future homeowners of one of the homes we were helping to build! Mike and Brad were great teachers and broke us into smaller groups for different tasks.” said Ashwinee.
“I had never used power tools but after having clear instructions I started using a chop saw and I loved it! I think gender stereotypes can sometimes make women feel there are certain things that they can’t do or make them feel intimidated by things like construction or using tools. There’s nothing inherently masculine about using a chop saw or about doing construction. The GMHfH supervisors accommodate to your comfort level and your experience, and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“The first day was so much fun that I signed up for every Saturday after that, from July to October. I work full time at the Department of Health so Saturdays were the only day that I could volunteer. I’ve already signed up to volunteer this summer at the new Richmond house build and am trying to organize a team from work to volunteer as a group.”Ashwinee said, “The best part was attending the home dedication for the Ayers and Regmi families in June. I’m so happy for the two families who will move into their new homes and proud that I had a part in making that happen.”
Not only is Ashwinee now addicted to volunteering, the experience with learning how to use tools also gave her an idea for a small business in addition to her full-time job. “I’ve been upcycling old wood and other items headed for landfills into furniture. I’ve been giving my first pieces to friends but I want to start selling them at affordable prices. My goal is to reduce my carbon footprint by taking old wood and other items, making homemade stains and conditioners from products purchased locally like olive oil, coffee, vinegar and beeswax, and building unique, upcycled pieces.”
“Volunteering not only got me through a challenging time of life, but it allowed me to learn to do new things while helping others”, concluded Ashwinee. “And, it enabled me to develop a business idea to turn old wood into useful items at a low cost as well as a little or no carbon footprint. Who knew that learning to use a chop saw could have such results!”
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