Coordinating Your Volunteers

⸰ Plan to recruit up to 20 build volunteers per day sponsored/build experience. These are volunteers who will be doing the designated construction tasks for the day.

⸰ You may also recruit up to 2 hospitality volunteers per day sponsored. Your hospitality volunteers will not work on the build. This position is an opportunity for someone who may not want to do physical labor but wants to be involved. Tasks may include checking in volunteers, setting up breakfast and lunch, making sure people stay hydrated, and taking photos throughout the day.

⸰ No one under 16 is allowed on the job-site during the build day for any reason. This is non-negotiable under Habitat International insurance policies for safety reasons.

⸰ Volunteers 16-17 years of age may volunteer with signed parental consent (Volunteer Release Form) and must have at least one adult chaperone (at least 21 years of age) per five youth. These volunteers may not operate power tools, climb ladders, or be on roofs. Landscaping days are best for 16-17 year old volunteers. All ages may attend the dedication celebration.

⸰ We do not offer split shifts or half days. For safety reasons, volunteers are asked to commit to a full day so that they receive proper instruction before they begin building and so all necessary tasks are complete.

⸰ There is no wrong way to recruit volunteers. Here are some examples you may find helpful:

• Select a “Build Day Captain” to champion a day (helpful if you are sponsoring multiple days)

• Include a “Call to Action” as the first thing in an email, newsletter, social media post or other electronic/printed material

• Invite a speaker at an event (Habitat staff are more than happy to assist with this)

Communicating

⸰ Habitat’s volunteer registration system will handle sending all of the buildsite related details to your volunteers. This includes directions to the site, what to wear, safety handbook, etc.

⸰ You may email your team to communicate important details about food & drink plans, carpooling, or any other specific information you would like to tell them. A roster may be found in your Coordinator Portal.

⸰ Habitat encourages sponsors to offer an informational meeting for volunteers. It is a time for volunteers to ask questions, and for you to hand out any important materials to them (safety handbook, t-shirts you may have designed, etc.). If you want to schedule a Habitat team member to join, let us know.