Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart and backbone of Habitat.
Time and time again, our community has demonstrated its generosity through countless hours of volunteering. Through this collective effort we have been able to continue our mission to provide safe, decent and affordable housing for low income families in the West Central Minnesota area. Thank You Volunteers!
New Home Construction
BUILD A HOME: Are you handy with a hammer and nails? Do you enjoy painting or planting? Share your talents and experience the joy of working alongside one of our partner families building their brand new home. We may put you to work doing anything from painting walls and trim to pounding nails, roofing or landscaping. There is no better feeling than to give back and make a difference in someone else's life.
A Brush with Kindness
A Brush with Kindness (ABWK) allows us to accomplish our mission in ways other than building a new home. ABWK projects are typically one to three day commitments where a group of volunteers, led by a construction manager or site supervisor, along with the homeowners, provide repair, landscaping or painting to a home, on a much smaller scale; generally around $3,000. The family is an active participant in the project and pays a small percentage of the cost according to their income.
Critical Home Repair
Critical Home Repair is much like A Brush with Kindness but on a much larger scale; generally around $10,000. It may include some roofing, deck-building, window or door replacement, front/back step repair, etc. As is true of ABWK projects, partner families are expected to work along-side the volunteers and supervisor. They will also pay a percentage of the cost according to their income.
BOARD & COMMITTEES
Are you a leader? Do you enjoy being part of a team? Do you exhibit great vision, discernment, and a desire for helping those in need? Do you have a background in Finance or experience in Construction Management? Consider being a member of our Board of Directors, Finance Committee, Family Selection Committee, Fund Development Committee, Construction Committee. Habitat for Humanity of West Central Minnesota is in constant need of qualified leaders. We need you!
FAMILY ADVOCATE
Are you a teacher, or a teacher at heart? You can make a great impact on the lives of a partner family by being a mentor to them. Whether we are building a new home or improving the quality of an existing one, each of our partner families must go through home-ownership training which includes general care, finances and much more. The role of the Family advocate is to work along-side a family, attend classes with them, be a motivating force for them, and see them through to their home-dedication day.
ReSTORE
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a household furnishing, building supply and household appliance store that plays a large part in the funding our mission. This is a great opportunity to advance our mission. Consider helping us on the ReStore floor aiding customers, working on the till and/or displaying merchandise, or in our warehouse handling merchandise drop-offs, cleaning and product repair or aiding in home or business deconstructs or product pick ups.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Habitat for Humanity of West Central Minnesota still aims to seek passionate individuals and organizations to join us in our fight against substandard housing in Kandiyohi, Chippewa, Meeker, Renville & Swift Counties & the City of Cokato.
There are so many ways you can make a difference in your community. Volunteers of all skill levels, races and religions are welcome!
FAITH RELATIONS LIAISON: Are you a motivator? Do you enjoy public speaking and sharing your passion with others? Our liaisons are committed individuals willing to seek out partners in faith to strengthen and gain support for our mission. Liaisons work in partnership with their church by extending the opportunity for congregations to engage in our ministry and become involved with Habitat.
FOOD PREPARATION FOR VOLUNTEERS: Maybe your talent is in food preparation. Do you enjoy cooking…baking? We are always in need of individuals to provide baked goods for our volunteers. Meal-preparation is also needed from time-to-time for our ReStore workers or on our build sites. Consider baking some cookies, cupcakes, breads, cakes…whatever your specialty is, and sharing them with our Habitat volunteers.
OTHER: There is work for everyone. If you have skills or interests you think can assist Habitat please contact Marybeth Nelson our Executive Director at 320-231-2704 or email her: marybeth@habitatwcm.org and she will assist you in how best to get plugged in.
Signing Up To Volunteer Is Easy! Contact us today and let us help you get started! You can complete a Volunteer Application online. We will contact you for registration and scheduling. Check out our volunteer listings if you need ideas on how best to help!
Volunteer FAQs
Our most common volunteer opportunity is to help on a build site. Construction volunteers help with various tasks, including framing, roofing, drywall, painting, or siding. We also look for individuals to volunteer to provide lunch to the construction volunteers on build days. For a description of these and other volunteer opportunities, please visit the Types of Volunteers section on our website.
Yes, you need to sign up in advance to volunteer. Please contact Marybeth Nelson at marybeth@habitatwcm.org to sign up for a specific build day. Check out our calendar of Volunteer Opportunities on our website. If you have never volunteered with us before, you will need to fill out a Volunteer Information Form and a Release and Waiver.
No previous construction experience is required. Volunteers are divided up into teams with a Crew Leader. The Crew Leader will mentor you and teach you everything you need to know.
We are always looking for Crew Leaders to help lead groups of volunteers. If you are interested in being a Crew Leader, please contact Marybeth Nelson at marybeth@habitatwcm.org for more details.
If you have them, bring safety glasses, a hammer, tape measure and gloves. If you do not have these items, they will be provided for you.
Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and the task for your volunteer day. For your safety, no open-toed shoes are allowed. Sunscreen is also recommended if you are working outside. Remember, you are working on a construction site. So you will get dirty!
Please contact Marybeth Nelson at marybeth@habitatwcm.org for more information.
We look forward to you volunteering with us!