Fall 1997 Newsletter

Formatting Update: August, 1998

News from the volunteer desk

By Melissa Martin

Get out your galoshes, because we're building year-round and we need your help! In addition to two homes in-progress in South Park, work will begin on homes in South Park, Lexington Place, and Shoreline this winter. This means there will be more opportunities to work on-site for individuals and groups. Yipee! This also means we are looking for individuals willing to assume leadership roles on-site, so light up my phone line, please! More specifically, opportunities will be available for skilled crew leaders and On-Site Volunteer Coordinators to facilitate workdays.

Crew Leaders are experienced individuals comfortable leading 4 to 5 interested volunteers. We recruit crew leads for all phases of construction, from foundation to finish carpentry. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please contact Melissa in the office at 292-9617. On-Site Volunteer Coordinators (OSVC's) are needed to help facilitate Saturday work days. This is a once a month, ongoing responsibility. OSVC's greet volunteers, check Gold Cards, coordinate the morning meeting, call for lunch and clean up, support the Construction Supervisor, and ensure that volunteers are having a positive experience on-site.

In addition to these two on-site opportunities, we are always looking for help in the office doing reception, filing, data entry, letter writing, research, committee support, and special projects. A once-a-week four-hour commitment is preferred. Contact Melissa in the office to schedule a training, 292-9617.

Finally, two committees are seeking new members. The Site Selection Committee is looking for Real Estate Professionals, Appraisers, Construction Cost Estimators, and volunteers to research prospective Habitat home sites. Please contact Meg Gruwell at 775-2525 to volunteer. The Family Partnering Committee needs several individuals interested in acting as Family Partners. A Family Partner works with both the Habitat homeowner families and Seattle Habitat to ensure that all parties are informed and all questions are answered. The Family Partner role is a long-term commitment and is an important link within the organization. Contact Lynn Schut at 283-6358 for information.

Thank you for your interest and willingness to volunteer. Volunteers are the strength of this organization.

Other Volunteer Support

Volunteers are what makes this organization succeed, so we would like to take a few words each issue to recognize the efforts of some of the many behind the scenes volunteers working in the office, on committees, helping with the auction, acting as OSVCs and pro bono volunteers, and working with house sponsor coalitions. It takes a lot of meetings, photocopying, set-up, and planning to put it all together. Thank you.

Family Selection Committee Co-chairs Sue Williams and Ollievette Wade have been working hard organizing the homeowner application process, holding two workshops and working to strengthen their committee.

Thanks also to Sue for volunteering each Thursday in the office. Sherry Schriver has been running queries, entering volunteer information, and scheduling individuals for the sites, so if you hear a calming voice on option #2, it's Sherry. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date datawise. Another volunteer who has not only put up with us early Friday mornings, but who has also built bird houses for the Auction, worked on-site, and taken on tough tasks in the office, is Bill Prince. The next latte's on me, Bill!

Alma Barton and David Dehlendorf deserve much more than a paragraph of thanks for co-chairing the 1997 Houses For Play Auction, but massages can't come through a newsletter, sorry. From procuring donations, to organizing volunteers, to moving play houses, you have done it all. Thank you for all of your efforts in making this auction a success and hats off to both of you (and your volunteers too).

Thanks to Carrie Tracey, our long-time On-Site Volunteer Coordinator for the second Saturday of each month. Carrie has recently agreed to become the chairperson of the Volunteer Committee and we welcome her input. Thanks, Carrie. Finally, special thanks to Kathleen Petrie, Project Coordinator for the Women Building for Humanity Coalition for all of her work with the Shoreline sitework and bid process. In addition to gearing up for construction, Kathleen spent many hours assembling bids and fielding calls. Thanks, and may your boots be muddy soon.