All Posts By

Lindsey Rominger

Apr 14
1

14 Ways to Get Involved from Home

By | News | No Comments

In light of our COVID-19 response plan, getting involved with Greater Indy Habitat looks a little different this spring than it has in the past. While we are temporarily on pause with our on-site volunteer opportunities, there are plenty of ways to get involved and further the mission of Habitat during these uncertain times. Now, more than ever, our mission and homebuyers in the program are reliant on the support of volunteers like you to come alongside of them.

Here is a list of ways that you can get involved with us right from your living room:

  1. Shelter@Home Selfie: Take a photo of a creative way you are sheltering in place or your favorite part about spending time at home and share it with us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter @IndyHabitat.
  2. Enews: Looking back at the last couple of weeks, things have been changing fast. Signing up for our enews is quick and easy and lets you receive the latest #IndyHabitat happenings as these next weeks progress. Sign up here. Not sure if you’re getting our messages? Send us a note at news@indyhabitat.org!
  3. Make a gift: Our homeowners are nurses, food service workers, daycare providers, airport employees. Some are seeing hours slashed or wages eliminated. Others are working double-time to keep our community safe. As the economic shocks from this crisis ripple out, many of our families will be hit the hardest. In a time when very little is certain, you can help build stability and certainty for your neighbors with a gift to Habitat. Consider making a gift at indyhabitat.org/donate.
  4. Share a recipe: Do you have a recipe you love to make? Perhaps a family favorite? Send us a link to your favorite recipe and we will pass it along to a Habitat homebuyer so they can begin to create new memories in their first home. Send us a message on social media or an email.
  5. Watch our history: Looking for a fun family activity while you are spending time inside? Briars in the Cotton Patch is now available on Amazon Prime for free. Watch and learn more about Habitat’s profound beginnings!
  6. Watch our progress: Check out our YouTube channel. Curious about the heartbeat behind all things #IndyHabitat? Check out this short video to watch more about who we are and what our mission is.
  7. Create a free will: Do you have an up-to-date will? Creating a will is one of the most impactful ways to support the people and causes you care about. We have partnered with FreeWill to provide you with a tool to create one for free. It is easy to fill out and takes no longer than 25 minutes to complete! Get started by clicking this link.
  8. Save your spring cleaning donations: Save up your donations and get in the queue to schedule your free donation pick-up once our store locations reopen.
  9. Refer a friend: Invite a friend or someone you know to our next Homeownership Info Session to discover if Habitat homeownership is right for them!
  10. Become an HYP: Looking for a super fun and unique way to get involved in the mission of #IndyHabitat?! Check out our Young Professionals group and participate in build days, networking opportunities, fundraising events, & more. Visit indyhabitat.org/yp.
  11. Give us your feedback!: Just as Jim, our president and CEO, stated, we realize that this is a time to pause on building and volunteer activities. However, this pause is a great time to hear from you! If you have volunteered with us before, complete our brief survey so that we can implement positive changes in our volunteer experience when we’re back and running later this year! Take our survey by clicking here.
  12. Add to your reading list: Finding extra time on your hands to read? Our “resident reader” and volunteer coordinator, Shana, compiled a list of her top five recommended reads related to the issue of affordable housing. Some books shed light on Habitat’s work but each one will challenge you with a new story or perspective about the importance of a safe and affordable place to call home. Check out the recommendations here. P.S. Have any good books we should add to our list? Let us know!
  13. Advocate for affordable housing: Did you know 1 in 6 U.S. households pay half or more of their income on housing? Many of these families currently in our homeownership program are feeling the crippling economic effects during these uncertain times as wages are lost or hours are cut. Consider emailing your members of Congress to urge them to continue prioritizing the needs of low-income families and the organizations that work hard to serve them. Click here to send a message.
  14. Follow us!: Want to stay up-to-date with all things #IndyHabitat? Stay in the know and get a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re up to by following us on social media. Follow us @IndyHabitat on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and LinkedIn for future updates and even more ways to interact with Habitat and support affordable homeownership!
Apr 06
2

Meet our 2020 Winter Warriors!

By | Volunteer | No Comments

Spring is officially here and 4 families have become new homeowners thanks to help from our winter warriors! This winter we rewarded volunteers who came out twice between January and March with a Habitat branded beanie. This group of winter warriors braved the crazy Indiana weather and came out to help install flooring, paint indoors and out, and complete a variety of other projects! Check out some photos of our warriors at work below: 

Winter Warrior Banner

Congratulations to the following volunteers for earning #winterwarrior status:

  • Aaron B.
  • Alexis P.
  • Ana D.
  • Andy R.
  • Ashley I.
  • Avion R.
  • Brian S.
  • Bryan A.
  • Collin C.
  • Colton G.
  • Dana G.
  • Dante C.
  • David G.
  • Erika F.
  • Faith F.
  • Gael A.
  • Joe S.
  • Juan G.
  • Karen J.
  • Katherine S.
  • Kyu K.
  • Lucian R.
  • Marco B.
  • Mike W.
  • Nethan I.
  • Nole S.
  • Oscar D.
  • Oscar R.
  • Ray M.
  • Rowan F.

Thank you to our winter warriors and all of our volunteers that helped us build homes, community, and hope this winter!  

Apr 02
0

Five Recommended Books to Read

By | News | No Comments

The ways we spend our time as of late have shifted for many. Perhaps you have more time to read as you shelter at home. Perhaps you want to learn more about why Habitat for Humanity exists. Perhaps you are looking for find stories that are challenging and inspiring.

Our “resident reader” and volunteer coordinator, Shana Lewis, compiled a list of recommended reading related to the issue of affordable housing. Some books shed light on Habitat’s work but each one will challenge you with a new story or perspective about the importance of a safe and affordable place to call home.

Check out the recommendations below and add your own in the comments!

Three Houses; A Strategy We Can Build On by Jonathan Reckford 

“Three Houses: A Strategy We Can Build On” is the inside story of how Habitat for Humanity’s current strategic plan was developed and has unfolded to result in unprecedented numbers of people being served with innovative and affordable housing solutions.

Shana shares: You can’t have a Habitat reading list without including a book written by Habitat CEO Jonathan Reckford. This book is full of inspiring Habitat stories from all across the globe. It’s a great book to read if you’re looking for a message of hope in the midst of the current landscape.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

In Evicted, Princeton sociologist and MacArthur “Genius” Matthew Desmond follows eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of 21st-century America’s most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.

Shana shares: Last winter, I had the pleasure of hearing Matthew Desmond speak about the country-wide crisis of eviction at an event we co-hosted. In Evicted, readers are given the chance to walk in another person’s shoes with each turn of the page. The more families you read about, the more you begin to understand the complexity of the eviction crisis in our nation.

Our Better Angels: Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World by Jonathan Reckford

Jonathan Reckford, the CEO of Habitat for Humanity, has seen time and again the powerful benefits that arise when people from all walks of life work together to help one another. In this uplifting audiobook, he shares true stories of people involved with Habitat as volunteers and future homeowners who embody seven timeless virtues—kindness, community, empowerment, joy, respect, generosity, and service—and shows how we can all practice these to improve the quality of our own lives as well as those around us.

Shana shares: Okay, I had to add another Jonathan Reckford book! This is another book filled with inspiring stories about Habitat homeowners all over the globe. Many times when we talk about the affordable housing crisis, it paints a very bleak picture. This book shines light on stories that show us what we can do when we come together for others.

The Lines Between Us: Two Families and a Quest to Cross Baltimore’s Racial Divide by Lawrence Lanahan

The criss-crossing stories of Mark, a white devout Christian who sells his suburban home to move to Baltimore’s inner city, and Nicole, a black mother determined to leave West Baltimore for the suburbs, chronicle how the region became so deeply segregated and why these fault lines persist today. Mark and Nicole personify the enormous disparities in access to safe housing, educational opportunities, and decent jobs. As these characters pack up their lives and change places, Lanahan examines what it will take to save our cities and communities: Do we put money into poor, segregated neighborhoods? Move families out into areas with more opportunity?

This eye-opening account of how a city creates its black, white, rich, and poor spaces suggests these problems are not intractable; but they are destined to persist until each of us—despite living in separate worlds—understands we have something at stake.

Shana shares: This book has been on my list for awhile. I’m always drawn to books that share the issues through people’s experiences. Sometimes issues surrounding housing can be hard to wrap you mind around, but the human factor helps relate.

The New Urban Crisis: How Our Cities Are Increasing Inequality, Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class-and What We Can Do About It by Richard Florida

In recent years, the young, educated, and affluent have surged back into cities, reversing decades of suburban flight and urban decline. And yet all is not well, Richard Florida argues in The New Urban Crisis. Florida, one of the first scholars to anticipate this back-to-the-city movement in his groundbreaking The Rise of the Creative Class, demonstrates how the same forces that power the growth of the world’s superstar cities also generate their vexing challenges: gentrification, unaffordability, segregation, and inequality. Meanwhile, many more cities still stagnate, and middle-class neighborhoods everywhere are disappearing. Our winner-take-all cities are just one manifestation of a profound crisis in today’s urbanized knowledge economy.

Shana shares: This is a book I’ve been meaning to dive into. This is another book that discusses the issues of gentrification and the divide between upper- and lower-class neighborhoods. What really draws me to this book is the call to action that we can do something about this crisis.

What books, blog posts or podcasts would you add to the list? Share your recommendations in the comments below!

Mar 13
1

Greater Indy Habitat’s Response to COVID-19

By | From the CEO, News | No Comments

Our Plan in Response to COVID-19

Updated as of: Thursday, June 11, 2020

As Indiana is progressively phasing back to work, we are adjusting to the continued presence of COVID-19 as part of our foreseeable operations. While the virus hasn’t left us, we’ll persevere to serve our mission. Alongside of you, we are builders at heart, whether providing a new or rehabbed home, preserving a home through repairs, or providing home goods in our ReStores for people to affordably repair and update their own homes. We will build back. Here are the protective measures we have updated.

Habitat Offices

Habitat offices are now open and our staff has returned. At this time, we are not accepting walk-up visitors. Please use this website for valuable information related to your inquiry and give our staff a call with additional questions. If you need to visit one of our staff in person, we encourage you to schedule an appointment. Here’s our staff webpage with contact info.

Our Habitat ReStores 

The Greater Indy ReStores in downtown Indy, Fishers, Avon and Greenfield have been open since the end of April. Normal business hours of 10 am – 6 pm, Monday through Saturday are in effect. All stores are practicing social distancing measures to mitigate risk to our donors and customers. If you have questions about those specific practices, please call one of our stores listed below and review our update about safety measures here.

Avon Restore:
317.707.7530

Downtown Indy:
317.777.6098

Fishers ReStore:
317.896.9423

Greenfield ReStore:
317.318.9458

Habitat Homebuyers

  • We are still accepting homebuyer applications and are hosting virtual information sessions for you to learn more about becoming a homeowner.
  • Our homebuying in-person education classes are cancelled for the remainder of 2020. Please reach out to our Homeownership team at 317.777.6080 or homeownership@indyhabitat.org with specific questions.

Building and Repair Work Begins – Can we Volunteer?

While bringing people together is at the heart of our mission, the virus is still present and volunteer safety is an utmost priority to us, so we have created a modified volunteer engagement plan for the remainder of the year. We will begin building with contracted labor and Tiger Team members starting in June.

We have plans to finish another 11 homes before the end of the year, and though we won’t be able to utilize volunteers in the same manner and keep social distancing guidelines in place, we plan to work with build site volunteers starting in September. To maintain safety for our homebuyers, volunteers, and staff, there will be fewer volunteer opportunities and our team has adapted volunteer projects and processes. Please sign up for a volunteer account here if you would like to learn about volunteer opportunities for the remainder of the year.

Habitat Annual Events 

While we don’t have what might be considered traditional nonprofit events, all of what we do is organized like an event. There are specific themed projects that we hold dear that have changed for the rest of the year.

  • Panel Builds– We will not host panel builds for the remaining 10 new homes we plan to build in 2020. We will revisit whether we might be able to host some panel builds much later in the year to allow for panels to be ready for 2021 early builds. Please contact our development team if you are curious about how your company, church or organization might want to participate in a panel build in the future.
  • State Fair Ag Build– As you might be aware, the traditional Indiana State Fair has been cancelled for this year. This would have been our 11th year in partnership with the State Fair, building two homes with the Agricultural community. While we completely understand this difficult decision, we will miss being there this August along with many of you.
  • Monumental Build– We will not host this combined panel build on Monument Circle this summer.
  • Women Build– The Women Build still is pushing forward to build two homes this year. The Women Build teams are working on finalizing when they will be participating in the field to complete the two homes this year. You can financially support the build here.

Repair Restarts

Our homeownership repair team is back at it and hasn’t missed a beat in attempting to pick up where they left off prior to COVID-19 in helping to preserve affordable homeownership for families in Hamilton and Marion counties. If you have questions about homeowner repair, please contact them here.

How can you help?

While our volunteerism will be reduced this year and our production will be reduced greatly because of COVID-19, we have been overwhelmed by the positive response and continued financial support from both organizations and individuals. Thank you for your continued support of our homeowners and mission.

We had a goal of providing 29 homes this year and are now planning to provide 16 total homes; the lowest total in over 20 years.

While 2021 planning will likely move at the pace of the virus, you can help move plans forward and get us off to a good start financially as we recover from our anticipated loss of more than $1.4 million of contributed and earned income through our home building sponsorships and ReStore revenue this year. Please consider making a one-time or recurring gift today so the families who are waiting on a home this year can purchase their first home in 2021.

Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity

Updates as of: Friday, May 1, 2020

Updated as of: Friday, May 1, 2020

ReStores Open, with Safety Measures in Place
Please click here to read about the opening of our ReStores.

Updates as of: Thursday, March 26, 2020

Updated as of: Thursday, March 26, 2020

This is an increasingly difficult time for people, businesses, and organizations all across the country and our community. As a nonprofit that relies on the support of others, please know we are making these difficult decisions prayerfully—but we need your help.

In a time when very little is certain, you can help build stability and certainty for your neighbors with a gift to Habitat. 

As part of the Habitat family, you understand the power of community action. Thank you for your continued support during this time. When we emerge from this crisis, let us emerge stronger, together.

Here are the protective measures we have enacted at this time:

Habitat Offices

  • Our Habitat main office and construction warehouse are now closed to the public for the foreseeable future.
  • Our staff will be available and actively working remotely, replying to phone calls, voicemails, and emails during this time.

Here’s how you can help: We urgently need your financial support. As businesses throughout our community are impacted by closures, so are many Habitat homeowners who make their family’s living in the service industry. These families will certainly be concerned about continuing to make their mortgage payments. We are committed to working with each family during this uncertain time, but we need your financial support to sustain us in that. Please consider any financial support possible and click here to give a gift online or see other ways to give. When you give, you’ll help us do more to help them.

Our Habitat ReStores 

  • The Greater Indy ReStores – in Downtown Indy, Fishers, Avon, Greenfield – are now closed to the public until end of business April 6.
  • Until April 7, we are pausing donation drop-offs and are working to reschedule donation pickups that are currently scheduled. Please know, we rely on your donated items, so please keep reading to see how you can help.
  • We will continue to evaluate our April 7 reopening date in the hopes that we can reopen sooner, but also extending if necessary. We will respond to the any further direction by the Governor’s office.

Here’s how you can help: ReStore is a key part of how we build homes with local families and this downtime will certainly be a hit to that effort. We will urgently need your donated items when we return. If you’re planning a donation drop-off, please hang on to your items and drop them off when we open again on April 7. You can continue to request free donation pickups on our website or by calling our donation lines (listed below), but please remember that we aren’t able to resume pickups until we reopen. Click here to learn more about donating items and schedule your free donation pickup.

Avon Restore:
317.707.7530

Downtown Indy:
317.777.6098

Fishers ReStore:
317.896.9423

Greenfield ReStore:
317.318.9458

Habitat Volunteers 

  • We are canceling all volunteer work on the build site, in the warehouse, ReStore and office through May 31.
  • We are contacting all currently scheduled volunteers to reschedule or cancel their assignments.

Here’s how you can help: Take steps to stay healthy—we have a busy build season ahead of us and we’ll need your help to build homes!

Habitat Homebuyers and Homeowners 

  • We have cancelled upcoming homebuyer education classes through April 7 and will communicate those cancellations directly with affected families and facilitators.
  • Our Habitat Homeownership Information Sessions are cancelled through April 7.
  • You may continue to make your mortgage payments online here.

Here’s how you can help us: Stay in touch with our Homeownership team if you have questions or concerns during this time. Call 317.777.6080 and they will be available to assist you.

Join Together in Prayer 

  • This disease most vigorously affects the most vulnerable in our communities, so please join us in praying for those who are already ill and those who may become ill. Pray for our government leaders and medical professionals. Pray for protection over our entire community and all those who come into contact with this Habitat ministry.

We will continue to monitor, respond and enact recommendations from the CDC. If you would like to receive updates in your inbox, please sign up for future updates here.

As part of the Habitat family, you understand the power of community action. Thank you for your continued support during this time and for playing your part in promoting the well-being of our entire community.

Thanks for all you bring to this work of building homes, communities and hope.

Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity

Updates as of: Monday, March 23, 2020

Updated as of: Monday, March 23, 2020

Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity is responding to effects and demands on our community by adjusting its operations. Last week, Governor Eric Holcomb issued an executive order to shut schools until May 1 and just today issued another executive order for a “Stay at Home” for non-essential businesses through end of business day April 6.

Habitat International has also made recommendations for operational changes and our leadership team has communicated with numerous affiliates of our size from various metropolitan markets to better understand how each affiliate is responding.

While the general encouragement is to remain fluid and respond accordingly, our volunteer-driven operations require significant lead time to prepare to build/rehab a quality home and provide a quality volunteer experience. As such, we are making adjustments to our general operations and the 2020 build schedule to accommodate meeting our quality standards as best we can. This will inevitably impact our ability to provide the same amount of homes for 2020. We will work to minimize the effect on families and our team.

General Operations

  • The Habitat offices at Meridian Street and the construction warehouse will be closed for the foreseeable future. Staff are still accessible by email, phone and text, if specific questions arise.

Home Building

  • Remaining homes: We only have one home remaining to complete and close. We are still committed to finishing this home and a contractor will be finishing it. Construction by professionals is considered an essential activity by the state.
  • The remaining schedule will be delayed until the end of May. The Development, Construction and Homeownership teams have been charged with coming up with Best, Likely and Worse-case scenarios based on this change. More information about the schedule will be forthcoming.

ReStores

  • Our four ReStores will be closed starting Wednesday, March 25, and will remain closed until end of business day on Monday, April 6. We will respond to the any further direction by the Governor’s office.

“Faith and fear, like light and darkness, are incompatible. Fear is the polio of the soul which prevents our walking by faith.” – Clarence Jordan, Habitat for Humanity’s spiritual founding father.

Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity

Updates as of: Friday, March 13, 2020

Updated as of: Friday, March 13, 2020

In light of current public health-related concerns surrounding the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease), we at Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity are sharing our response, effective immediately. While these decisions will impact our work in the near term, our policy reflects our commitment to love our neighbors and enact practices that hold your health, the health of our team, the health of Habitat homebuyers and the larger community as a top priority.

We reviewed recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and are adhering to Governor Holcomb’s recommended steps. This disease most vigorously affects the most vulnerable in our communities. If the spread of the disease can be slowed down, then it “flattens the curve” and prevents sick people from overwhelming the healthcare system. That means those who need help can get it. Put another way, the more we socially isolate, the fewer people who will die.

Here’s our plan, effective immediately:

  • All volunteer construction days through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled.
  • All Tiger Team volunteerism in the construction warehouse, including individual work and Tiger Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled.
  • Habitat homebuyer education classes through Sunday, April 5 are cancelled. Our Homeownership team will communicate those cancellations directly with affected families and facilitators and will determine if and when they will be rescheduled.
  • The Habitat Homeownership Information Sessions will be cancelled through Sunday, April 5.
  • The Habitat offices and ReStores will remain open at this time. If you have an appointment or plans to visit us, please exercise an abundance of caution. If you are even slightly ill or are worried about being in contact with someone who is, please reschedule your appointment or visit for another time in the future.
  • We will continue to monitor, respond and enact recommendations from the CDC such as encouraging “social distancing,” limiting the size of gathered groups, etc.

Please join us in praying for those who are already ill and those who may become ill. Pray for our government leaders and medical professionals. Pray for protection over our entire community and all those who come into contact with this Habitat ministry.

While the heartbeat of our mission is “bringing people together,” we realize that this is a time for pause. Our 2020 plans are to complete 29 homes for families to purchase, preserve up to 18 homes through critical repairs and support up to 23 homes internationally with our Habitat partner affiliate in El Salvador. We will need all of you when this pandemic passes to help us fulfill these goals. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to building strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. If you have any questions concerning our COVID-19 plan, please email us or call us.

Jim Morris, President & CEO
Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity

 

Jan 29
0

Volunteer Spotlight – Meet Brian

By | Volunteer | No Comments

Volunteers make Habitat’s mission of building homes, communities, and hope possible. While many people will build one time through their workplace, church, or civic organization, some keep coming out to the build site to give their time and talent for our homebuyers. These are volunteers like Brian McGreer. Brian receives workplace VTO (volunteer time off) as a benefit and spends many of those hours on a Habitat build site and is also a member of the Habitat Young Professionals chapter. Read more about Brian and his experience as a volunteer below!

Brian McGreer Greater Indy Habitat Volunteer Spotlight

Q&A with Brian:

You are a committed volunteer for Habitat and we are so grateful! What is it about Habitat that keeps you coming back?
“I really enjoy working with fun and kind people to give back to the community. I feel a real sense of accomplishment after a day of volunteering.”

Our volunteers often tell us they learn something new every time they volunteer – whether that’s a Habitat fact or a new skill. What’s something new you have learned while volunteering?
“Put your paintbrush in a plastic bag when you take a lunch break. It keeps the paint from drying in the brush without having to clean it before you’re done for the day.”

If you had to use three words to describe your volunteer experience with us, what would it be?
“Worthwhile, rewarding, and fun.”

What is your favorite thing about being a Young Professional volunteer?
“Helping to stand up the Young Professionals group has given me the chance to meet a lot of great people, and to expand the volunteer base for Habitat to help the affiliate grow.”

What advice would you give to those looking to get involved with Habitat?
“Just do it! Don’t be afraid to volunteer. There are so many different ways to contribute, there’s always something you can do. If you’ve never done the type of work, they’ll teach you. It’s a great opportunity to learn new skills while helping your community.”

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your volunteer experience with Habitat?
“The entire staff of the Greater Indy affiliate is amazing! Seriously, those people rock. They’re so nice, and fun, and good at their jobs. It’s great working with them!”

Thank you, Brian, for all that you do to build strength, stability and independence through homeownership!

Jan 06
0

2019 Year-in-Review: Volunteers Making an Impact

By | Volunteer | No Comments

With the start of a new year, we reflect back on all that happened in 2019. What a packed year it was! We had over 6,900 individuals volunteer with us in 2019. Not to mention, 4,445 of those volunteers came out and built with us for the very first time! We also celebrated the dedications of 23 new homeowners, handing over the keys and celebrating this new chapter of homeownership with each family! Check out some more of our 2019 year-end volunteer impact stats below.

Volunteer Impact Graphic 2019 Year Recap

Get involved and volunteer with us in 2020! Volunteer twice on any build site between January and March and you will receive a limited-edition Habitat beanie (while supplies last). Learn more about how you can get your beanie and sign up to become a winter warrior at indyhabitat.org/winterwarrior.

Dec 19
0

Top 5 Tips for Braving the Cold | #WinterWarrior

By | Volunteer | No Comments

You’re really doing this. You’re going to sign up to volunteer in the middle of winter because you are a winter warrior! You’ve signed up for your build day and you know where you’re going, so now what? Greater Indy Habitat builds rain or shine (or snow!) so use these tips for braving the build site cold this winter.

1. Dress in warm layers – you never know what the day will bring with Indiana weather! Layer your clothing in this order for the most comfort:

  • Layer 1 – dry wicking material to keep your skin dry
  • Layer 2 – insulated layer of wool or polar fleece
  • Layer 3 – nylon or another wind resistant material

Not only should you layer up tops and bottoms, also be sure to wear gloves, a hat, and warm socks, too!

Pro tip: Bring extra clothes to change into for your drive home. Any wet or damp clothes should be removed immediately at the end of your shift.

2. Wear the right shoes – Rain boots or work boots always make a great fashion statement on the build site! Ideally, you’ll want to wear shoes that are waterproof and insulated to keep your toes warm and dry all day.

3. Take breaks inside – You should take breaks any time you are working hard but it’s extra important when it’s cold out! Taking a break indoors can help raise your body temperature and keep you going strong throughout the day.

4. Stay hydrated –Drinking enough fluids isn’t only important in the summer. Did you know that we dehydrate faster in colder weather? Not only will a cup of hot chocolate keep you feeling toasty, it will also help keep you hydrated, win-win!

Pro tip: Habitat provides water, Clif Bars, and lunch for all of our build site volunteers. We’ll help keep you fueled up to go all day!

5. Know when to call it quits – There is a difference between feeling cold and experiencing a cold related illness. You followed all of our tips but you still start to feel bad. If you experience shivering, loss of coordination, reduced blood flow to hands and feet, numbness, tingling, or aching, don’t try to push though, warrior! Stop what you’re doing and tell the superintendent immediately so they can help get you back to normal.

If you follow these 5 tips, you’ll have a great time on the build site! Click here for more information and to sign up for a build day.

Sources:

https://www.alertmedia.com/blog/working-in-cold-weather-safety-tips/
https://www.osha.gov/as/opa/cold_weather_prep.html
https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/working-in-a-cold-environment-2
https://www.medexpress.com/blog/workplace-wellness/winter-safety-tips-for-outdoor-workers.html
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/coldstress/coldrelatedillnesses.html
https://www.ehstoday.com/protective-clothing/winter-safety-head-toe

Oct 14
0

Volunteers Making an Impact in 2019: Q3

By | Volunteer | No Comments

Q3 at Greater Indy Habitat was a packed one! We had over 3,600 volunteers come out and build with us and built two homes in 14 days at the Indiana State Fair. Our volunteers braved the summer heat and put in some incredibly hard work alongside our homebuyers putting in their sweat equity. Thanks to our volunteers, we welcomed 10 first-time homebuyers home. Thank you to each of our volunteers who make our mission possible, and a special thank you to those who came out in Q3 to build with us. Check out some of our 2019 Q3 volunteer impact stats below!

Volunteer Impact Graphic 2019 Q3

To join us in this important work of building strength, stability, and independence through homeownership, check out our volunteer page for ways to get involved or cross off your Habitat #BucketList and come build with us this fall. Questions about volunteering with us? Contact volunteer@indyhabitat.org.

Sep 25
0

Meet Brad, Construction Superintendent

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Brad Evans HeadshotThis summer we welcomed Brad Evans to our Habitat family as a Construction Superintendent. Brad joined us from Habitat for Humanity of Hamilton County and has been a huge asset to our team. Learn more about Brad below!

What are your primary roles at Habitat?
As a superintendent, I see my role as a facilitator and advisor for the Tiger Team and volunteers. While it is ultimately my responsibility to deliver a quality home for the homebuyer, I simply make decisions about how things will be done, then explain those decisions to the Tigers (if necessary) and volunteers. Additionally, it is my responsibility to ensure that there are adequate materials and tools on site for these two groups to do the fantastic work they do. Lastly, I coordinate with and schedule many of the contractors we hire for professional services (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing and gutters).

What makes your space “home”?
I am a severe minimalist, and live in a small apartment.  I have moved many times in my life, so home tends to be wherever I lay my head.

What’s your favorite tool to use?
My favorite tool is probably the cordless nail gun.  It saves my thumbs from abuse with a hammer, and really speeds up the process.

Why do you build homes, communities and hope?
I’ve been involved in this type of work for many years. When I started (around 15 years ago) with an organization called Rebuilding the Wall around 20 years ago, I realized what a difference affordable homeownership makes to a family. It is something many of us take for granted:  1) It gives stability to the family by breaking a sometimes frequent cycle of transitional living. This means children can develop friendships in their neighborhood without the fear of having to “leave” friends whenever they move. Children can attend the same school/school system throughout their school years which also adds stability to the school. Generally speaking, it allows children to focus on that part of their future they should be focusing on, and not focused on worrying about where they will be living. 2) Our homes attempt to give each child his/her own bedroom, a space they can call “their own.”  3) Homeownership gives parents an additional opportunity to set an example for their children by setting goals and working hard to achieve those goals.

I truly believe everyone deserves affordable quality housing, especially children.  That is why I do what I do.

Please join us in welcoming Brad to our Habitat family! 

Sep 11
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Meet Janine, Impact Giving Officer

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Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity Janine Robertson HeadshotThis August we welcomed Janine Robertson to our Habitat family as our Impact Giving Officer. Learn more about Janine below!

What are your primary roles at Habitat?
My primary role is to work with individual donors. Meet with, learn more about their passion, specific interest within Greater Indy Habitat and help them fulfill their philanthropic goals. In other words develop the relationship which will lead to growing their gift as well as their engagement with our organization.

What makes your space “home”?
We have been in our home for over 20 years and have made it ours. Two of my favorite places are the fireplace in the winter (nothing like candles, a throw and good book) and our deck in the summer with our family.

What’s your favorite tool to use?
I like to paint and garden/dig in the dirt. Very therapeutic!

Why do you build homes, communities and hope?
I’ve worked with a number of families and individuals in my prior life teaching financial literacy. There is nothing like experiencing families achieve their dreams and accomplish what they thought was impossible.

Please join us in welcoming Janine to our Habitat family!