Anyone here volunteer with Habitat for Humanity?

I've been looking to volunteer, and this seems like a good fit for me.

I'm just wondering what sort of experience people have had. I'm also wondering what all is involved with volunteering at one of the ReStore locations. The website seems a little... bad. I went through the online orientation, so the next step was to look at the calendar. Know where in the orientation was volunteering in the office/store covered. I'm emailing the volunteer coordinator, but I'm impatient. My Google-Fu appears to be off too.

When I was a young'n I worked at a hardware store, so I'm pretty sure I would be useful in that capacity, I'm also fairly handy and from my super thorough orientation it sounds like you don't even need to know which end of the hammer fixes plumbing issues.

a reply to: Domo1
Good for you for helping out! I really do mean that and I'm not being snarky. That's really cool.

I don't know anything about it. I'm sorry if this is off topic but it's funny that you posted something for Habitat for Humanity. I've been considering contacting them to see if they'd build my Lewa and I a house so we could start our family. I don't know how to go about it though.

I was interested in volunteering with HFH a few years ago as I have a few years experience in construction...

After doing some reading I was appalled at how they treated many of the home owners.

There are hundreds of stories describing foreclosures, lies, jacking the prices way up, you name it.

After reading some of the stories written by those that HFH had taken advantage of, I was no longer interested in helping them perpetrate a scam on others.

HFH = Corruption I am in my fourth year of partnering with HfH. Before closing on our home, all of our paperwork listed $82,000 as the final price of our home. Mysteriously, the price of our home jumped to $104,000 which left us owing 64,000. When repeatedly asking where the extra $22,000 came in at, our requests for imformation were ignored. Granted, 64K is still cheap for a home, but considering HfH received 102K, this house is not worth it. I could have a larger WELL BUILT home for that amount.

The majority of the work on our home was performed by illegal immigrants. Watch a cop drive by, lol, and they all run to the woods, no joke. And only 1 spoke broken english. The top 2 officials at our local office have taken multiple trips to Tahiti, Haiti, and various other places. Not as a proposal to build there, just sort of mass Habitat vacations. I am thankful for my shoddy built home, as my note is $418 monthly, but this is not a home I will live in for 30+ years. It will fall apart long before then.

I could go on and on about imbezzlements, homes sold to those who don’t qualify under HfH guidelines while others are turned away that are in great need and DO qualify, and just the general abuse of the system by this org. But I won’t. They are corrupt as they come. And no, volunteers do not man the offices, those are extremely well paid career con artists your dealing with.

Habitat for Humanity corrupt as hell

I can tell you where some of the money goes for Habitat for Humanity. Into personal bank accounts of people who work for HFH. The office of one HBH on Vancouver Island, Canada employs as their “resource development” coordinator an individual that has a criminal record as long as your arm for embezellment, fraud, theft. This individual has been fired from a string of employers for just such reasons. This professional con artist is now in charge of raising and managing funds for this office.

So, anyone would be correct to question the numbers of HFH. I’m sure this organization does alot of good, but it it heartbreaking to see a professional con artist and diagnosed sociopath taking advantage of other people’s trust and hardwork to pilfer from donated funds.

Habitat for Humanity corrupt as hell

Habitat built me a home. charged me 90,000 for it. It is a 1200 sf home in a undesirable part of town. I over heard one of the “Forman” that they ordered enough materials for 2 houses. I think this a money racket.

Habitat for Humanity corrupt as hell

I can only speak my my local Habitat for Humanity – but it is corrupt as hell. My fraternity in college built 3 houses in the course of a year for this scam outfit. We were told the would-be owners were supposed to also come work on the house they would be getting. First two houses went by and we never saw the family at all. The third house we were working on was in the end of the spring semester.

It was hot as hell and I was under the house doing insulation. It was miserable and again, we were nearly done and had yet to see the family we were helping. But then guess what?! The guy getting the house showed up…..in fancy clothes and driving and BMW and its just him. He was single with no kids. Needless to say we left, wrote some editorials etc but they are still going, taking advantage of the generosity of others.

Habitat for Humanity corrupt as hell

originally posted by: Chakotay
Habitat is a giant scam. Just another way to siphon money off do-gooders without addressing the real problems of MILLIONS of homeless.

They are a gang of crooks dressed up as a charity

Here is an illustration of how this scam works

There are a few ATS posters that do help out with Habitat for Humanity if you want to hit them up:

TheRedneck

Pilot

I always donate my unwanted items to this store as the money made from selling it always stays in my country to help those who need. In my country if you have a community services for those on low income and need desperate fixing of your house habitat will lend you the money and provide a builder or tradie to help you do the renovation up to 10000$ worth. You must do some of the labour too. You then must pay the loan of at what you can afford even if it's 5$ a week and I think it's interest free. Pitty we can't afford even 5$ a week at the mo. You can also apply for a house. Great organisation. I also shop at their shop to replace stuff I have got rid of can't help hoarding.
I say go for it and help these guys.

I've been a Habitat volunteer for over 20 years. The chapters of Habitat are locally controlled by a Board of Directors. I sat on our Board for two terms. We've built 17 houses in our county since the chapter was formed and I've worked on 15 of them in some fashion. In addition to building new homes for families we also do repair work for people who can't afford the labor costs for repairs. Sometimes they pay for the materials, sometimes we seek donations to pay for the repairs.
I find it very enjoyable. I worked in construction with my Dad's company when I was a teenager so I know which end of the hammer to use and have done just about everything in the carpentry area. I'm competent with a paintbrush so I've done a lot of that as well. I really enjoy diggin' in the dirt so I've also done a lot of helping with landscaping.

We don't have a store. One of our members has a warehouse where we store donated items until they can be traded to other chapters or we have need of them. We are a small chapter, maybe 30 people who are actual workers and another 30 who are elderly or disabled but can help with things other than labor. There is always work for the various committees, finance, applications, nurturing, etc. We also have a list of professionals (plumbers, electricians, lawyers, etc.) who aren't members really but make themselves available on an "as needed" basis.
Of the 17 houses we've built, all but two are still owned by the original purchasers. We got rooked once in the early years by a "flipper" who told a good story. One family gave up the home we'd built for them when they inherited a house in another state and moved there to be near elderly parents.
Six have already been paid off but the owners are still Habitat volunteers, helping others through the process (the nurturing committee) of becoming first-time homeowners.
The biggest benefit is the friends you'll make among the volunteers and the home owners. There is nothing more rewarding that watching those families invest their time, energy and excitement in such a project. And the day of the "Handing over of the keys" ceremony is always a big time!
Oh, yeah, you'll also learn which professionals are dependable and which aren't.

I donate my old clothing and items to them for their store .....they come and pick it up , and I can use it as a tax write off too. Everyone is always very nice , and the store is always very clean here. ....I'm not sure about the house building part, but if your looking to work in their retail store area, I'm sure they're willing to train any volunteer!!! You could also think about being the person that goes and picks up the donated items?

a reply to: Domo1

All that's required is that you're breathing. Can you carry? Sort? Pass nails and hammers etc?

You're good to go....even disabled....volunteer. Its what ever you're able to do. Even just stand there taking notes on names....

All kinds of people needed...'long as you're helping!

Thanks!!!!

a reply to: Domo1

I worked on a couple of builds. Besides the warm fuzzy of helping out, i learned a few home improvement/building things I didn't know about before, which came in handy after buying my first home. There's always someone who has actual knowledge of how to do everything required (I'm sure at Restore as well as at build sites) who can easily get you up to speed on what to do and how to do it right.

I know a guy who is a single father who was on state assistance for the sake of his little one and he was required to work so many hours a week at HH. He busted his back (not literally but figuratively) for them for years with no pay other than the little bit of assistance he received and it wasn't much. He maintained a pleasant attitude and a stellar work ethic the whole time. Eventually HH hired him and took him on full time and last I heard he had or was building himself a house with I can only assume HH assistance.

Maybe it is one of those organizations that is inherently corrupt altogether or maybe that is more a regional issue. I don't really know so can't really say but I do personally know one person who has put into the system and reaped what he sowed in a positive manner.

a reply to: Domo1

I've volunteered as part of my Eagle Scout hours and court mandated hours.. what a mix lol.

Anyway, I'm sure it is different at every location. It also depends on what stage in the building you show up on.

The location I was at they were constructing small 4 room houses.

I mostly did simple painting and laying down and cutting flooring. Youll arrive to the group and then be assigned your task and get breaks throughout the day.

I think its one of the most fun ways to volunteer.

Skimmed over what few others said. This whole "corrupt" gargage may be true. Idk WHO CARES. They can misuse your money, but there is no misuse of your time and hard work!

Hope it works out!

Only the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development has done more harm than H.H. Popular phrases like diversity, inclusion, housing equality and others sound noble but in the real world, HH and HUD, introduce crime and fear to neighbourhoods that are ill prepared to deal with that sort of change. For example, after Katrina, many "refugees" were given/had houses built for them in the older areas of my town. Working class and retired people who have worked hard to build lives and have a nice little home were confronted with a criminal element that they thought they were safe from. Home invasions, rape, robbery, and murder have become common where that sort of thing was once unheard of. You can rationalize and deny all you want but the fact remains, that if HH and HUD had not placed the criminal element in these peaceful neighbourhoods they would not be there. The old folks suffer the most and they haven't the resources to escape.