National Women Build Week

In the week leading up to Mother’s Day, women everywhere are coming together to devote at least one day to Habitat For Humanity’s effort to eliminate poverty housing. This week is significant to many of our volunteers because families with children make up a staggering number of those in desperate need of adequate housing. In Guelph you’ll see evidence of Women Build Week throughout our community. Although we haven’t begun to build yet this year, we’re getting close to being ready to kick off our build.

We have land.

At 10:30 am, May 3^rd, you’re invited to visit our next Women Build site at 297 Paisley Road and celebrate with us as we raise our Women Build sign!

We have a family.

“Sarah” is a single Mom with three boys under the age of 16. Although she’s been holding down as many as 3 jobs at once, she’s made space in her busy life to complete most of her 400 Sweat Equity hours to make her eligible for our next home.

We have plans.

Our drawings are almost ready to submit for a building permit. “Sarah’s” home will be a simple decent two-story 3-bedroom home.

We have volunteers (though never enough)!

Women throughout Wellington County are anxiously waiting for us to start building so they can join in the fun.

What’s holding us back?

Despite the generosity of our many supporters, we need money for building materials, foundations, roofing and more. It costs money to build a home. So we’re actively seeking Build sponsors, large and small.

In the meantime, we have created a series of workshops for those gals who just can’t wait to come and play with tools. Most are held on Thursday evenings from 7-10 pm, but our Build a Shed Boot Camp is on a July weekend. Evening workshops are only $35 each. The weekend Boot Camp is just $100 and includes lunch, safety glasses and your own pink hard hat (that you get to keep). If you’re a serious do-it-yourselfer, you can sign up for the entire series for just $200.

When you come out to our workshops, you are under no obligation to sign up as a volunteer.

The first workshop – Power Tools 101 (for Women!)– is being held during Women Build Week, on Thursday, May 10^th at 7:00 pm and Sharon Lewis, our 2011 Women Build Site Supervisor, is our instructor.

Learn more by visiting http://habitatwellington.on.ca/wb-2012-skills-workshops.html.

We’d love it if you joined us!

Volunteer Spotlight

This month Habitat for Humanity Wellington County would like to recognize Allan Berberich for his outstanding volunteerism. Al first came to volunteer with Habitat back in 2006 and has been a dedicated, passionate and knowledgeable volunteer ever since. Al is described as, “one of those ‘all-around’ volunteers, pitching in at every corner of our organization”

In 2010 Al volunteered a whopping 71.25 hours in the ReStore and 91 Hours at the build site and then in 2011 he inspired us all by devoting 137.5 hours to the ReStore and 71 hours at the Huron St. build site. Additionally, in 2011 Al not only provided great support to the Family Support Committee by helping to plan a workshop for our partner families to walk them through tax preparations, he also helped to mentor student volunteers at the Restore.

Other volunteers describe Al as a knowledgeable and reliable volunteer who is always there when you need him and always has a smile on his face! Al can consistently be counted on for any salvage or demolitions jobs and is more that willing to help show people the proper way to fix or assemble new products. No job is too big or small for Al to get involved in; he does not hesitate to pitch in whenever he sees a job that needs to get done!

Al has shown remarkable dedication and caring for the Habitat family he is the type of volunteer that we love to have here at Habitat for Humanity Wellington County. We are recognizing Al for being one of the only long-term volunteers who has made a continuous, ongoing commitment to both the build and the ReStore, with a gift card from Everyday Essentials. So here’s a BIG THANK YOU to Al Berberich for all of the magnificent volunteering he has done and with without a doubt continue to do!

THANKS AL!

For information on how you can get involved with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County visit us at Suite 300, 104 Dawson Road, Guelph, Ontario Canada N1H 1A7 or at

http://www.habitatwellington.on.ca/about.html

Spring Cleaning? Why not ReStore your home with Habitat?

It’s that time of year again, the birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming; no need for heavy winter coats. It’s time to open the house windows and do a good spring clean!

Now there are tons of tricks, lists and simple suggestions out there to make spring cleaning easier and less time consuming; Habitat for Humanity Wellington County has a list of their own to help remind you what items to donate and all about our free pick-ups.  <Take a look below of accepted and unaccepted items> 

All you need to do to donate an item is bring it into the ReStore located at Suite 300, 104 Dawson Road in Guelph. If your item is too large for you to bring in on your own or you have a number of things to donate, you can call the ReStore at 519-780-2323 to arrange for a free pick-up of all your items!

There are several great reasons to donate your unwanted goods to the Habitat Guelph ReStore. Your donations reduce the amount of material going into local landfill sites. In fact, the Guelph ReStore has diverted over 3,000,000 pounds of goods away from these sites. That's the equivalent to 230 elephants! Additionally, ReStore profits helps us offset administration costs so you can rest assured every penny you donate to Habitat for Humanity Wellington County goes directly to buying building materials to build more homes in your community.   

Spring Cleaning with the ReStore this year will make you feel great about your social and environmental actions, especially with Earth Day around the corner. Habitat for Humanity ReStores help Canadian consumers practice the 3Rs every day:

• ReDuce - the need to manufacture new products
• ReUse - gently-used products in your home renovation projects
• ReCycle - your neighbour's gently-used products by finding a use for them in your house

Are you planning to finally get rid of that TV in the crawl space that merely collects dust? Maybe you'll finally decide to do something about the dozens of cell phones you have stashed away in the closet. Are you unsure of how to properly recycle these electronics? Recycle them with the ReStore and we'll make it easy for you! Bring your unwanted working or non-working electronics into our donation centre and will recycle them RESPONSIBLY!

So while you’re giving your house that thorough clean keep HFHWC and our Guelph Restore on your mind for all your recycled items!

Accepted Items for Donation

Items that Habitat ReStore accepts:

• Appliances and small appliances 
• Architectural columns, mantles, antique moldings 
• Cabinets (kitchen and bathroom)
• Carpeting and under-pad new or “as new” only 
• Doors (in good condition NO hollow bi-folds) 
• Drywall, blue board & cement board, in sheets uncut, (or half sheets) 
• Drywall mud & tape 
• Electrical devices and fixtures in “as new” working condition 
• Exercise equipment 
• Flooring (tiles, wood, vinyl engineered laminate, parquet) 
• Furniture (no box springs and mattresses, no upholstered furniture) 
• Garden tools, implements, structures, shovels wheelbarrows, sheds, etc. 
• Hand tools, including power tools 
• Hardware (hinges, handles, knobs, covers, nails, nuts and bolts, screws) 
• Insulation (only in wrapped bundles) 
• Interlocking paving stones 
• Lighting fixtures (interior & exterior) 
• Office furniture (desks, bookcases, computer work stations, chairs) 
• Plumbing fixtures without chips or stains 
• Plumbing tubing & pipes (copper, ABS, PVC, galvanized) 
• Roofing (shingles, barrier paper and membranes)
• Sealants and caulks in unopened packages
• Shutters
• Siding (wood, aluminum, vinyl)
• Steel and Aluminum/ Steel tubs, steel desks
• Televisions, radios, computers, monitors (all electronics)
• Wall coverings (paper, vinyl, tiles)
• Windows
• Wood (lumber, trim, molding, plywood, MDR OFB, plastic) in usable sizes, not scrap

Items NOT accepted: 

Unaccepted Items for Donation

• Any kind of waste
• Automotive supplies
• Toys
• Books, magazines
• Clothing
• Dishes/pots and pans/dishwashers
• Drywall smaller than 2x3
• Fertilizers, insecticides/pesticides, plants
• Glass that is not in a frame
• Hazardous material (flammables, acids, solvents)
• Plumbing fixtures that are chipped or stained (no 13 liter toilets)

Nearing the Start of Something Special in Centre Wellington

We are rapidly approaching the start of the Centre Wellington Build but Habitat for Humanity and the Centre Wellington Build Committee are not standing around waiting for this to start. Things are BUSY...

On Friday, March 30th the committee is hosting, 'Sheltered from the Storm'. This event will feature delicious food and pleasing music as The Food School & Fancy That Cake will provide the goodies for the evening and Centre Wellington's own Cam Otto will supply great live music.

The special attraction of the evening will be Angry Planet's Storm Chaser, George Kourounis. George was recently on The Grand radio station to promote the event and he's certainly looking forward to supporting Habitat for Humanity.

Moving on to April 14th, we will be breaking ground on Forfar Street to officially kick off the project. The Groundbreaking ceremony is welcomed to the public as we appreciate the support of our communities when we start these projects that will provide sustainable affordable housing to families in the community.

Finally, Elora's own Ian Evans will be embarking on a journey of a lifetime. He will be riding his bicycle "Down Under", 5,000 KM from Perth to Sydney. He will be fundraising money for this community-lifting project. You can sponsor Ian and follow along on his journey through his trip journal.

Fergus get ready, Habitat for Humanity is returning and we need your support!

We Are Making Our Home Applications More Accessible

Update March 27*** CTV shared a news story focusing on the need for more transit and affordable housing for immigrants. Here's a portion of that article.

OTTAWA — The federal emphasis on integrating immigrants through language training and recognition of foreign credentials is far too narrow, says a new paper.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is proposing a new strategy for integration that would broaden the focus to include affordable housing and public transit.

"Federal and provincial settlement programs have not caught up with changing immigrant settlement patterns, including a growing shift to suburban communities," the report says.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is in the midst of public consultations on how to best reshape the intake of immigrants, so that the country attracts the kind of people it needs to sustain its workforce. more...
_____________________________________________________________
Recently, we paired with Immigrant Services - Guelph Wellington (IS-GW) to provide information on our affordable home building program to new Canadians and clients of IS-GW. We participated in two IS-GW workshops (Homeownership & Coffee Talk - Immigrant Women's Group) to help disseminate information about our programs. This initiative is funded by a grant received by Habitat Canada as part of the Habitat for Humanity 360 Built Smart Partnership. With this grant, we will look to expand our family outreach to be more accessible to those new to Canada.

The 360 Built Smart Partnership is focused on developing initiatives that eliminates the housing crisis in Canada. This funding will help increase applications from new Canadian families as well as have documents translated by the Translation and Interpretation Program Services (TIPS) into Chinese, Hindi, Vietnamese, Punjabi, and Spanish, the five most common immigrant languages in Guelph and Wellington County. Finally, other funding will be allocated to hiring interpreters to help support new Canadian applicant families.
I caught up to Diane (our Executive Director) to get her thoughts on these workshops

“Affordable housing and language barriers are first concerns for many of these families that immigrate to Canada. To make information available to these families on the housing programs in their native language is the optimal way of opening the door to affordable home ownership”.

*Here are some facts:

According to the Canadian Council on Social Development in 1995, on average 30% of immigrant populations living in cities lived below the poverty line. ISGW has been providing assistance programs since 1978 to “serve new Canadians and build community by providing responsive and diverse settlement services and programs.” Hosting an information workshop on affordable housing is important because those spending more than 30% of their income on housing are considered "at risk". These workshops will help to reduce the challenges newcomers to Canada face as they seek to attain and retain decent affordable housing. Ultimately, the social impact will have these families transition from merely surviving to that of thriving; they will reduce their reliance on social services and healthcare.

Habitat for Humanity Wellington County encourages all of those interested in gaining insight and knowledge into our Habitat for Humanity home building program to pick up information located at our office at 104 Dawson Rd. (Corner of Speedvale & Dawson) or at Immigrant Services (926 Paisley Rd. Unit 4 & 5).

We'd like to thank the Title Sponsors of the Habitat for Humanity Canada 360 Built Smart Partnership for their continued support.

Thank You to Centre Wellington

Here is a great letter I'd love to share. It's from one of our committee members of the Centre Wellington Build that will start in May. The Build is located in Fergus at 124 Forfar St. A Dedication event that will include handing over the keys to the deserving families. Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 12, 2012

As I sit here typing this letter, my heart overflows at the generosity of the people of  Centre Wellington.

On Saturday, March 10^th Bethel Baptist Church and Grand River Community Church hosted a screening of the movie Courageous.  The setting was the lovely venue of the Fergus Grand Theatre; a venue that is warm and inviting.  The event was held at no charge but donations to Habitat for Humanity’s build on Forfar Street were encouraged.

On behalf of the Centre Wellington Build Committee, we are ENCOURAGED.  Your generosity has taken Habitat another step forward in providing a “hand up” not a “hand out” for two partner families in our Community.

Thank you, for your generosity.  This is a big project.  Your generosity has brought us courage and increased enthusiasm as we get closer to the Ground Breaking Ceremony on April 14^th.

Sincerely,

Colleen Roberts

Habitat For Humanity Centre Wellington Build Committee

Habitat for Humanity Staff Build Day aka Walking the Talk

I challenge you to join the Ranks of those people who live what they teach, who walk their talk ~ Tony Robbins

The above quote was the mission I shared with ten of my colleagues from Habitat for Humanity Wellington County and the Habitat Guelph ReStore on Tuesday, March 6th. All Habitat and ReStore staff came to the conclusion that it's good and all to ask people to donate their time and money to help build more homes for deserving families in our communities, it's another thing to do the job yourself.

For one day, we stepped away from fundraising and volunteer programs, stepped away from advocacy and social media initiatives, stepped away from policies and stepped away from accounting and administration to focus on, "walking our talk" at the My Neighbour's House project.

It was a GREAT day! There are many enjoyable experiences about being on a home-building construction site. You can meet new people with similar interests or reconnect with colleagues. You will learn new trades skills and gain self-confidence that may have been buried below. However, nothing is more enjoyable than knowing your work will equate to a family breaking a from a vicious poverty cycle, potentially moving away from unsafe and dangerous living conditions to go move into a sustainable housing solution, a Habitat for Humanity Home.


It's truly uplifting to think that the doors you are installing in a room could be the very same door that represents a child's first bedroom door. It is satisfying to think that a child's health and grades can improve because of that door you installed.

Selfishly, there were extra incentives to my building experiences. I'm currently renovating my basement and opted to take the project on myself and my Father to finish. Conveniently, as we are at the stage of door installations in the basement project, what do you think I got to learn on the build site at My Neighbour's House? You guessed it.... I learned to install doors! The timing literally couldn't have been better. Now I'll be able to stray from the norm of my Father teaching me everything about renovations and teach him how to propertly install doors; all in thanks to our wonderful Site Supervisor, John. Thanks John!

Another great element of the day was the ability to work alongside staff and the ReStore. I don't cross paths all the time with some staff of the ReStore and it was a pleasure to work alongside them for an entire day. I think I learned a lot about them as they did about me.

Finally, I'd be remisced if I didn't get a chance to detail our lunch! Those of you familiar with The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro might know that last Tuesday, for lunch and dinner periods, offered free meals to partrons in lieu of a donation to HFHWC. Obviously, we weren't going to miss out on this! Collectively, we piled a bunch of money together as our donation and put in a giant order of delicious and juicy gourmet burgers. I 100% recommend the San Francisco Treat that features cheddar and Kraft Dinner. Yes, THE KRAFT DINNER!

The One and Only San Francisco Treat Burger!

It ended up being a memorable day for all of staff and something we'll plan more frequently. If you want in on this experience, please register to volunteer or contact Annie.

The HFHWC Volunteering Experience

*Guest Author: Habitat for Humanity Wellington County Volunteer, Rebecca Smith:

I’m a Do-It-Yourself junkie, I’ll fully admit it, and I’ve been coming to the Habitat for Humanity Wellington County’s ReStore for a long time, so when a friend suggested I sign up on their Volunteer Hub and volunteer at the ReStore I thought why not? I have now been volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Wellington County for the past five months and it has been a very rewarding experience, one I would highly recommend to anyone looking to make a difference or just have fun!

My first volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County was in the ReStore, where I got to help unload trucks, organize inventory, set up a new Christmas display and help a shopper  find exactly what she was looking for (gorgeous oversized tiles that were being used to restore a bathroom).  The best part about the morning was the great new people I got to meet. Everyone was so friendly and willing to include me in their tasks, it was fun start to finish! And I didn’t leave empty handed I purchased a side table, which I have since painted and made into a fantastic nightstand.

After my time in the ReStore I started volunteering in the front office where I have not only got to accomplish a lot, but I have learned so much. I have helped out with writing blogs, researching social media stats, following facebook and twitter accounts (@HFHWC), and so much more. The great thing about volunteering in the front office is the wealth of knowledge I have gained. Luke, the Fundraising and Communications Coordinator has taught me so much about social media, which I can now take and apply to my career.  It’s interesting how I started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County to help others and yet I’m personally gaining a lot from my experiences.

Last Tuesday a friend and I went to help build at 28 Huron Street as part of their reading week blitz. I got the chance to put my painting stills to use and helped paint one side of the house. Volunteering at this build was a lot of fun, I met some great new friends and we had a blast rockin’ out to some old school Will Smith while we cut in, rolled and generally had a great time!

My experience volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Wellington County has been amazingly positive from day one. If you’re looking to volunteer I strongly recommend coming to Habitat for Humanity Wellington County, it’s really easy to sign-up on their Volunteer Hub, you get to pick the types of volunteering you want to do (ReStore, front office or build site), there’s pancake breakfasts,  and you meet so many other helpful and friendly people. Whether it’s at the Restore, in the office or out at the build site, I plan on continuing to volunteer and hopefully I’ll see you there!

A Great Day to Celebrate HFHWC Women Build!

Happy International Woman's Day to all the wonderful, strong and brave Women Builders of HFHWC. Today is a perfect day to let everyone know more about the Women Build 2012 project.

Gain self-confidence in the Women Build Program

To all our current Women Builders. Your commitment, support and fortitude is incomparable and extraordinary. From HFHWC Staff, Board of Directors and even Maddie (who could forget Maddie?), the 2011 Women Build project was simply spectacular because of you. Moving those two girls into their beautiful new rooms is a memory that will last a lifetime. GREAT WORK!

2012 will mark the third annual Women Build here in Guelph, and we want you to be part of it! Women Build is not about excluding men, but including women, in an environment that is comfortable and instructive. No experience is necessary! It’s about spirit, empowerment, solidarity, fun, learning and pride in working with a family to build a place they can call home.

The empowering initiative of Habitat for Humanity Wellington County, Women Build is an experience no woman should miss out on. It works to build the skills and confidence of women on the build site and has them leaving with a sense of accomplishment.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We are seeking strong dynamic women to assist in the planning committees:

• Volunteer Engagement
• Sponsorship
• Special Events
• Construction
• Public Relations

If you are interested in joining one of the committees contact Elizabeth for more information. We are also seeking individuals who are looking to volunteer on site and just want to build! Start an experience to a lifetime of friendship and helping those in need right now!

Empower Yourself to Learn and Help

To find out more information on how you can help, and to also read up on the committee descriptions, visit the Women Build webpage.

Help fight the issue of affordable housing Guelph, Wellington County in a womanly way!

A Scrumptous Solution to Affordable Housing

On Tuesday, March 6th, HFHWC will be teaming up with The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro to put the power of affordable housing in your hands. How so? All you need to do is order one of The Works SEVENTY selections of succulent burgers and non-upgradeable side. You'll receive that burger and side for free and instead you'll be asked to make a donation to HFHWC. Here is more info... Straight from the horses mouth

The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro- the award-winning gourmet burger bistro, originating in Ottawa in 2001 – is celebrating its 10 year anniversary on March 6th by offering free gourmet burgers to guests of all locations, between 11am-2pm for lunch or 5pm-8pm for dinner. In true WORKS fashion, each neighborhood bistro has selected a local charity in their community and will be collecting monetary donations while serving up complimentary gourmet burgers. Every restaurant will offer a full menu selection, allowing guests to indulge in one of its 70 renowned gourmet burger options. Customers may visit any one of the 10 WORKS locations on March 6th (March 20th for the London location) to indulge in a complimentary gourmet burger while supporting the local community. The popular gourmet burger bistro currently has new locations under construction in Toronto, Waterloo and Peterborough with an additional eight planned for 2012 and recently announced plans to open 50 new stores across Canada.

 

Habitat for Humanity Toronto ReStore Promo Video

If you don't know what you're getting into, when you shop at the ReStore, here's a sneak peak into the ReStore world. Specifically, this is one of the ReStores in Toronto. Great video!

Adopt-A-Day and the importance of Corporate Teamwork

The Adopt-a-Day and Adopt-a-Week Programs enable groups to both contribute to the cost of building a Habitat home and share the experience of participating in a Habitat build.

Working together to build a home for a less fortunate family is a powerful bonding experience for volunteers and an effective team building exercise for corporate and other groups. Spending time together on a Habitat construction site can be a meaningful way to create stronger internal relationships within your organization, as well as to celebrate any organizational milestones.

Did you know that companies that emphasized on leadership development outperformed others by 15 times over the past 60 years? - Cutting Edge Information. There are many organizational benefits that come with participating in a corporate team building program. These benefits include:

·         An increase of morale and improvement of leadership skills

·         Breaking the barrier that blocks creativity

·         Clearly defining goals and objectives

·         Improving processes and procedures

·         Improving organizational productivity

·         Identifying a team's strengths and weaknesses

·         Improving problem solving skills

A study by John Kotter and James Heskett found companies that consistently paid attention to
their leadership culture over time vs. those who did not, achieved:

• Revenue increases of 682% vs. 166%
• Stock price increases of 901% vs. 74%
• Net income increases of 756% vs. 1%
• Job growth of 282% vs. 36%

As adopters, you'll also be part of the affordable housing solution in our neighbourhoods. Homeownership is a sustainable solution to affordable housing that affects both homeowners and the community.


A CMHC study from 2004 showed that 40.6% of Habitat for Humanity families surveyed reported an increase in the school grades of their children; 54.2% noticed an improvement in children's behaviour; 22.9% of parents went back to school; 34.1% of income earners moved on to better jobs; and 36.1% were less reliant on social assistance and community services.

How important is corporate team building to you?
Please contact us to inquire how you can adopt today!

HabitAPP - Keep Habitat in your Hand

What better way to stay connected with Habitatfor Humanity Wellington County then by having all the latest information at your finger tips, everywhere you go. This mobile app is currently available on all Blackberry, Android and iPhone touch phones and tablets, and will be available on Windows phones later this year.

This app, developed by Weever Apps out of Hamilton Ontario. This will provide our smartphone and tablet-using supporters to stay connected to and learn more about our organization. This app features:

• Form to donate
• Volunteer opportunities
• Sales and promotions at the local ReStore
• E-newsletter and e-blast sign up form (coming soon)
• Integrated social media accounts (Twitter and Facebook)
• Read our blog

The primary goal of the Habitapp is to provide a platform for our Habitat for Humanity Wellington County supporters, that will allow you to continually feel a part of the Habitat organization.

"Our volunteers are the heart and soul of the Habitat for Humanity organization, and we strive to make supporting Habitat as accessible as possible to the community," Said Diane Nelson, executive director, Habitat for Humanity Wellington County. "Mobile apps like Habitapp demonstrate how social media is transforming the not-for-profit sector, and making volunteering or donating more convenient."

HFHWC is advancing their communications and wants you to come along for the ride. This app will bring you a whole new level of simplicity, that you can easily be shared with everyone you know by clicking on the "Share App" feature. 

Become more engaged with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County at the click of a button and KEEP HABITAT IN YOUR HAND.

Raisin' The Roof February 2012 Newsletter

Raisin' the Roof February 2012 contains information about upcoming events: Volunteer Recognition Pancake Breakfast, Movies & Music at Gorge Cinemas and Women Build at the Guelph Storm game.

Also, read about the upcoming HabitAPP mobile app and volunteer opportunities remaining on the 2011 My Neighbour's House project at 28 Huron St.

Read, Enjoy, Share!

HFHWC still needs you to help finish this home!

Update* The HFHWC Volunteer Appreciation Pancake Breakfast is rapidly approaching and we hope you can make it! Our volunteers are so important to helping us build homes in our communities. Here is a small way to say thanks! RSVP on the event Facebook page or with Annie Devitt.

In today's world, it can be rather hard to find the time to volunteer or to even think about volunteering. Nevertheless, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County comes with many rewarding benefits for you, your family and your community. By volunteering you have the opportunity to build new relationships, reach out to the community, gain new skills and possibly advance in your career. On top of all that, volunteering can help to preserve your mental and physical health.

The following are some of the many great benefits that should come to mind when considering volunteering with HFHWC.



Volunteering connects you to your community

One of the most rewarding benefits of volunteering is the impact you are making on the community. Volunteering is the glue that keeps the community together. It allows you to help your community grow, while improving it and making it a better place. Not only does volunteering impact your community, but it also can impact you and your family just as much as the cause you are helping.  

Volunteering helps to build new relationships

Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you to increase your social skills, widen your network and help you to gain new friends. By committing to a shared activity, you are opening yourself up to people with similar interests that can help you to practice and increase your social skills.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body

Volunteering can preserve your health and enhance your self-confidence, self-esteem and all together life satisfaction. You are giving you time to others and your community, which can give you a strong sense of accomplishment. Taking on the role of a volunteer comes with a sense of importance and identity. Having a positive view about yourself helps to give you a more positive outlook on your life and future goals.  Volunteering has been proven to lessen symptoms of chronic pain and heart disease. It’s an easy way to maintain an active lifestyle and increase your energy level.

Volunteer can Advance your career and help you to gain new skills

Volunteering can give you experience in your area of interest, as well as open doors for a new career by meeting people in the field. Volunteering allows you to learn news skills and practice the important skills needed in the workplace. Learn about teamwork, communication, problem solving, project management, multi-tasking and organization. You will be able to feel more comfortable transferring these skills into your own workplace once you have perfected them in a volunteer position.

Remember volunteering can be an exciting and simple way to discover new interests. Volunteering allows you to step outside of your usual everyday routine and add some extra excitement to your life. Who knows what kind of great hobby HFHWC has in store for you! 

Click here to register as a volunteer for HFHWC. Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity Wellington County visit our website

Volunteering w/Habitat builds camaraderie

ReStore-ing Our Environment & Our Communities

Did you know that typically 8,000 lbs of waste is put into a landfill during the construction and remodeling of 2,000 square foot home? Habitat for Humanity ReStores are doing their part to divert waste from the landfill by taking used building materials, furniture and other household items and offering them for resale at a fraction of the price. Restores accept donations of various household items including: 

Landfill

§  Windows and Doors

§  Paint

§  Hardware

§  Lumber

§  Tools

§  Lighting fixtures

§  Appliances

Since 1998 Canadian Habitat for Humanity ReStores have diverted over 113,000 tonnes of waste from landfills and in 2010 alone 21,000 tonnes of waste were diverted. Equally important, is the fact that in 2010, Canadian Restores recycled 2.1 million pounds of metal.

In Guelph, the Master Plan identifies a waste diversion target of 65% by 2016, and with the help of places such as the ReStore, individuals can continue to help to reduce the waste being sent to our landfill by donating items of value that might otherwise be thrown out.

In addition, the Wellington County Restore is now taking e-waste and recycle it in environmentally favourable way, further diverting waste from the landfill. E-waste or electronic waste now makes up 5% of all municipal solid waste worldwide, with 20-50 million tons generated every year. Items are being collected by ReStore to be recycled properly include:

§  Cellphones

§  Computers

§  Laptops

§  Televisions

§  Stereos

§  Printers

§  Fax machines and much more!

Purchasing at the ReStore:

§  Lets you help the environment by diverting thousands of tons of usable materials and goods away from landfills and

§  Allows Habitat for Humanity Wellington County purchase more building materials for the homes we build!

You can  sign up to our e-blasts and learn all about exclusive sales, promotions and everything Habitat Guelph ReStore!