Habitat for Humanity – the Volunteer Experience
Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to bring the dream of homeownership to anyone who wants it. By providing affordable housing for deserving families, we hope to foster public health, safety, and community. There are many ways to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity that can aid our mission and make homeownership a reality for a deserving family in your area.
Volunteering at the Build Site
This is probably our most iconic and popular volunteer opportunity. When you volunteer with a Habitat build site, you get to help literally put a roof over someone’s head. It has a powerful impact and many of our volunteers quickly become regulars.
There are several things to know beforehand to ensure that your first build (and every build after) is a good experience:
- Dress for the weather and bring sunscreen, no matter what season. You’ll be outside for several hours.
- Do not wear dangling jewelry or oversized clothes that could catch on a nail or contribute to an accident.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions! We try to guide our volunteers every step of the way, but make sure you ask questions if you’re unsure.
- Remember, it’s much easier to ask than it is to pry up and redo the baseboards.
- Safety first! Wear your hard heart and closed-toed shoes to prevent injury.
Home Preservation
Are you handy with a saw or hammer? Want to put your skills to good use in the community? Habitat also offers home preservation and repair work for homeowners in need. Our mission is to ensure that people live in safe decent housing for years to come. From painting and landscaping to weatherization and minor repairs, we help revitalize entire neighborhoods and help keep people in their homes.
Families apply for home preservation and are accepted based on need, income, and willingness to help. We use donated materials and volunteer labor as much as possible to keep costs low. We make an affordable loan to the homeowner to cover the cost of work and payments are placed in a revolving fund to help other home preservation jobs.
Volunteer at the ReStore
Volunteering at the ReStore is another excellent way to support your community and further the mission of Habitat for Humanity. While volunteer needs vary from season to season and in different communities, generally speaking the Habitat ReStore can use help in the following areas:
- DIY projects
- Unloading trucks
- Pricing inventory
- Merchandising and display creation
- Stocking shelves
- Customer service
- Organization
- Sales
If you have skills in any of these areas and would like to put them to use for your Dallas area Habitat, contact us at 214.678.2300.