Today was the REALTORS® Community Foundation Board of Governors Habitat for Humanity Adopt-A-Day Team Build. The event is billed as a great way for groups and organizations to come together while at the same time providing much needed and appreciated assistance to Habitat builds.
Today we were volunteering at the Anderson Gardens build in northeast Edmonton. Anderson Gardens will be home to 47 families once it is complete and it’s also Habitat’s first Built Green project.
I’m exhausted. Totally spent.
It may have something to do with having been up since 0400h. It may be the result of spending all day on my feet in brand-new never-worn-before-today safety boots. It may be from spending the day humping building materials around a job site and swinging a hammer. It’s likely a combination of all of those things but I’m definitely not complaining.
Today was one of the single most gratifying volunteer experiences I’ve ever had.
I’ve never participated in a Habitat project before. I’ve seen their ads here and there and often thought “I should do that sometime. I know how to use tools and have some building basics”. I just never have the time; never get around to signing up. I wasn’t expecting to take anything from today. I don’t mean that in a negative way. I simply mean aside from that “I did something really good and helped someone other than myself today” feeling that comes from giving a little bit back I really wasn’t expecting anything.
Turns out I should have given it a little more thought.
I learned a little bit about the Habitat process and how families apply for ownership; often more than once before being successful. I gained insight into the amount of time, effort, and sweat the future home owners have to invest. I was also reminded that in life you just never know where you’re headed and that all too often we judge people without giving any thought to their story.
I was fortunate enough to work with a lady who just took possession of her new Habitat home a few weeks ago. She’s a single mom who, until recently, had been living with her children in her mom’s home. She’s a very smart woman. A professional. Educated. So why is she a recent Habitat owner? Her husband was diagnosed with Leukemia while she was on maternity leave. That was seven years ago — and she is just now getting back on her financial feet. I don’t have anymore details than that — I didn’t ask. I just listened as she shared the bits and pieces of her story she felt comfortable sharing.
Guess what her seven-year old son said after they got the keys to their new Habitat home? “What about Grandma? She’ll be all alone now.”
One more thing I got out of today…? I became acutely aware of how very fortunate I am to own my own home.
///…CP