By Greta Sanders, RAHFH Volunteer Manager
When asked this year why someone should volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, I nearly responded without a second thought with my usual one-liners. You know the ones, “giving back to your community is important” , “It’s a fun day you can spend with family, friends or co-workers all while doing something good for Rockford”, I could go on and on. I have probably said one of those things to a handful of you reading this. While giving back to your community is important, and we have lots of fun on site, those things are true of any volunteer experience. I was asked why someone should volunteer with Habitat for Humanity specifically. So, I stood there for what was probably an uncomfortable amount of time thinking what makes us different? Why should someone volunteer with us? What was spilled out of my mouth was, “home is personal. It’s your safe space. There is nothing more personal than home”.
Six families, right here in Rockford, will move into a house built just for them, and they will quickly begin turning that house into their home. Each of these families will begin creating new memories. Hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time or waking up on Christmas morning in a bedroom that is just for them. Memories and smiles that will last a lifetime. That is what home is. A home is personal. A home is your safe space. A home provides stability, a solid foundation to grow on and bloom into something beautiful.
Thank you for working tirelessly at the ReStore which generates funds for us to build the most homes we have every built in one year. Thank you for coming out no matter the weather, to use your skills to build from the ground up, the place these families will call home. Thank you to those who gather around a table to discuss how we can continue to grow and reach more families year after year. Thank you for playing your role in providing families with the most personal thing of all, a safe and stable home where they will grow and bloom for many years to come.
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