Spring 2024 Pre-Build Packet

Mission: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Homeownership Opportunities for Hardworking Neighbors

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville provides homeownership opportunities within a five-county region: Davidson, Dickson, Wilson, Cheatham, and Robertson, for working individuals and families who need the stability of a quality affordable home. The Nashville affiliate was established in 1985 and welcomed its 1,000 homeowner in December of 2022. We have empowered 3,525 family members, including 2,209 children, to live more stable lives through homeownership. In support of our mission, Habitat of Greater Nashville operates retail stores, the ReStore, in Davidson, Dickson, and Wilson counties. We have supported more than 420 housing solutions for families around the world through the Habitat International tithe program.

Habitat

builds

ENERGY STAR® certified homes and has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency 14 consecutive years for Sustained Excellence in Affordable Housing. This helps homeowners save an average of $25,000 in electric costs over the life of the mortgage.

Homeownership

Habitat homes are not free. Habitat of Greater Nashville engages sponsor support and volunteer labor to offer qualifying individuals and families an affordable mortgage based on the appraised value of the home. To qualify, future homeowners must fall within income guidelines (approximately 80% of area median income), be able to pay for closing costs, make a monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, and be willing to complete the Habitat homeownership training program.

Future homeowners in the program invest 200 hours of sweat equity, which includes homeownership classes and working on the build site, to earn the opportunity to purchase a Habitat home. The homeownership training program can take 6-18 months to complete.

www.habitatnashville.org

Volunteers

Habitat is a licensed home builder who utilizes volunteer labor to help keep the cost of the homes affordable. Paid subcontractors are scheduled during the week to complete code related tasks. Build days start at 7:30 a.m. and end in the afternoon when the day’s work is done. Volunteers are also utilized at the ReStore preparing merchandise for display and working with the Deconstruct program.

Investment

Habitat realizes its mission through the financial support of partnerships with local government, corporations, and faith organizations. Current build sponsorship ranges from $150,000 for 18 build day experiences, to $8,750 for one build day experience, offering up to 20 volunteer spots per build day experience. Habitat is currently building its newest 58 single-family home community, Village by the Creek, in North Nashville.

The impact of engaging with Habitat for Humanity is immeasurable. Children who grow up in homes are more likely to graduate from high school and college and become contributing members of the community.* Habitat homeowners pay more than $1.5 million in property taxes annually, supporting vital community services. *https://www.habitat.org/our-work/impact/research-series-outcomes-associated-with-homeownership

Retail

Habitat of Greater Nashville operates retail centers, the ReStore, in three counties diverting more than 1,500 tons of materials from city landfills annually. The ReStores sell used and new home and office furnishings and building supplies donated from individuals and companies. The ReStore has generated net earnings to support agency operations at a level equivalent to about 63 new home sponsorships.

Individuals who wish to donate to the ReStore can drop their items at any ReStore location, found at: www.habitatnashville.org. For larger items, the ReStore offers FREE pick up by calling: 615.942.1290.

Remodeling? Renovating? Want to save some money and fund good works? Habitat’s skilled Deconstruct professionals will remove your kitchen cabinets, appliances, doors, windows and more for FREE when you donate them to Habitat. Call 615.942.1273 for more information.

Greater Nashville

414 Harding Place, Nashville, TN 37211

615.254.4663

ReStore 615.942.1291

Wilson County

200 Granville Drive

Lebanon, TN 37090

615.964.6592

ReStore 615.964.6599

Dickson County

223 Dickson Plaza Drive

Dickson, TN 37055

615.964.6594

ReStore 615.446.4385

www.habitatnashville.org

Cheatham/Robertson Counties

395 South Main Street

Ashland City, TN 37015

615.964.6594

walking trail to build site

Volunteer Parking

Spring 2024 build season lots

Village by the Creek — Spring Build 2024

Parking Directions:

Please park at Bass Street Missionary Baptist Church, 3447 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN 37207. Once you arrive, drive behind the church to the parking lot where Habitat sta will guide you to the build site located o Ewing Valley Road. Please allow 5-7 minutes for the walk. We look forward to seeing you.

Deliveries (tent location):

Deliveries can be dropped o at the white tent located across the street from 3928 Patton Hill Road. Please drop all food deliveries at the tent. Construction deliveries should check in at the blue construction trailer next to the tent.

Build Volunteer General Information

Build Day Schedule: All volunteers should arrive at the parking area at 7:00 a.m. – 7:10 a.m. to allow for a 15-minute walk to the build site. The build day begins promptly at 7:30 a.m. with a safety meeting. Our goal is to stop work at approximately 3:30 p.m. We build as a community; starting together and ending together.

What to Wear: Sturdy boots are best. Tennis shoes are acceptable (NO sandals, flip flops, open toes, high heels, etc.). Wear work clothes appropriate for the weather (bring a jacket, gloves, hat if it’s cold and light layers if warm). Leave jewelry and other valuables at home. Chances are you’ll get dirty!

Construction Zone: The Habitat build site is a working construction zone. Be aware of your surroundings. If you need to make a call or use your phone, please step away from the active construction areas. Look for uneven terrain, electrical cords, nails, and other possible hazards. USE CAUTION.

Tools: Habitat Nashville has tools available for everyone at the jobsite. If you bring your own, label them clearly. If they get left or lost at the jobsite, they may be lost forever! Do NOT bring power tools or nail guns of any kind.

Weather Delays: NONE - If you sign up to volunteer, we are counting on you to be there. If weather ever makes the site dangerous, the Construction Director will ensure the safety of all volunteers. If you wake up and it’s raining, put on a poncho and come to the jobsite!

Age Guidelines: No one under 16 is allowed at the build site. Young people 16 or 17 may volunteer if they are accompanied by an adult at least 21 years of age They may not use ladders, or power tools. Parent/legal guardian must sign their release form. Volunteers should be able to show proof of age.

Food: All volunteers/volunteer groups are responsible for providing their own snacks, water, and lunch for the day, unless notified otherwise. Lunch deliveries need to be at the build site by 11:15 a.m. and the entire build site will break for lunch at 11:30 a.m. sharp. If you have specific dietary restrictions, please note that food provided may not meet all your dietary needs so please plan accordingly.

Seating: While there are a good number of benches under the volunteer tent, volunteers are more than welcome to bring folding chairs to utilize during breaks or lunch.

Safety: Habitat Nashville is a Drug-Free Workplace. The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of controlled substances is prohibited on all build sites. Please read the Safety Handbook, before coming to the build site for the first time: Safety Handbook

Build Coordination Guide

2024 Build Season

Village by the Creek

Thank you for supporting Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville by sponsoring and building with us. Your contribution is immeasurable. Many say that building with Habitat is a gift that keeps on giving as it will touch a future Habitat homeowner’s life for generations. This manual is a resource for you and your organization to use as a guide throughout the planning and building process.

At a Glance

What is the responsibility of a Build Coordinator?

The Build Coordinator is responsible for recruiting and communicating build information with your volunteers, as well as making sure logistics such as food, beverages, and other essentials are taken care of. This person serves as the liaison between your organization and Habitat by fielding questions and correspondence between both parties. As Build Coordinator, you can expect to be in communication with Habitat’s Volunteer Relations Manager and/or Sponsor Relations Manager leading up to and during your build.

Habitat Staff Support

Sponsor Relations Manager

Karel Straughn

kstraughn@habitatnashville.org

615.942.1280 (p) /615.403-8986 (c)

Before Your Build Checklist

Volunteer Relations Manager

Emily Napier

enapier@habitatnashville.org

615.942.1258 (p) /678.488.1595 (c)

□ Identify and confirm a committee to help you delegate responsibilities if you feel it is needed.

□ Attend pre-build meeting with Habitat (it is helpful if you have a committee, that they attend as well).

□ Complete the coordinator questionnaire sent via email by kstraughn@habitatnashville.org.

□ Send logo in a vector-based EPS, SVG, or AI file, social media handles/hashtags, and marketing contact (if applicable) to Sponsor Relations Manager, kstraughn@habitatnashville.org.

□ Locate your "Coordinator's Email" sent from Emily Napier, enapier@habitatnashville.org, and familiarize yourself with its contents.

□ Recruit your volunteers EARLY! 6-4 weeks before your build starts is ideal.

□ Identify your registered volunteers using the coordinator portal. We will start following up with you on your registration numbers about three weeks prior to your build.

□ Hold a pre-construction meeting with your volunteers (this will help you answer questions).

□ Plan breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks for your build day(s).

After Your Build Checklist

□ Thank your volunteers.

□ Attend your post build meeting with Habitat staff.

□ Be on the lookout for communications regarding the dedication celebration.

□ Schedule your build for next year!

Coordinating Your Volunteers

Recruiting

⸰ 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. All ages may attend the dedication celebration.

⸰ 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. Youth volunteers should be prepared to do any tasks that do not include ladders and power tools.

⸰ 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. Please prepare your volunteers to arrive on time to allow for all construction activities to begin on time.

⸰ 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.

⸰ Remind volunteers that have come out before to bring their hard hat from a previous build, they will get another sticker to add to their collection!

Volunteer Registration System

Step 1 - Read the Coordinator’s Email

Shortly after your prebuild meeting, you will receive an email from Emily Napier, enapier@habitatnashville.org. This email will include instructions on using the volunteer system, including a build day sign-up link for volunteers to select their volunteer day(s) (see Figure A). Please be sure to bookmark this link for later use or save the email so you can access it when necessary.

Step 2 – Recruit Volunteers

1. Email the sign-up link to your office, department, group, or congregation. This is best done in a “build announcement” email, where you can send the sign-up link and other information. An email template will be attached to the “Coordinator Email” . *Make sure the link works after you copy and paste.

2. Other ways to recruit include placing the link on your organization’s website, posting an announcement flyer, promoting it in the newsletter at your church or office, posting the sign-up link to your organization’s Facebook page or other on social media We have included a writable PDF flyer as an attachment in the “Coordinator Email” that can be posted in a physical location where potential volunteers will see it.

3. All volunteers are required to read and sign the terms of the Release and Waiver of Liability when they sign up for any build day. Volunteers will select their build date, and then follow the directions to complete their registration. *Please note each individual needs to complete their own form and provide their individual email as this is how we will communicate build-day information.

Step 3 – Manage Volunteers

Now that volunteers are signing up, you can view your progress via the Coordinator Portal (see Figure B) You will receive a code to access your Coordinator Portal. Using this portal, you may track the names and count of volunteers for each build day and access their email addresses in case you need to contact them You can also view any additional information you requested (dietary information, t-shirt size, etc.). You will also be able to edit/delete a volunteer from the roster if needed

Figure A. Volunteer Sign Up Page

This page is where volunteers sign up for their chosen volunteer date(s) and sign the waiver.

Your logo here

The option will become unavailable once the day is full.

The signature must be completed to successfully sign up.

Must select “next” to be successfully registered.

Figure B. Coordinator Portal

This is where the coordinator can view and edit the volunteers that have registered to build.

Enter the exact code that was emailed to you with your registration link.

Select “view volunteers”

Select the volunteer you would like to edit or delete.

Select “view/edit selected records.”

Edit the date or delete the record here, then select “next” to edit others.

Figure C. Information Your Volunteers Will Receive from Habitat

*Volunteers will receive reminders 10 and 3 days before their build day.

Hey there!

We're looking forward to seeing you on (Date). This is just a reminder about where to go for your build day. For further details, please read the attached documents.

Volunteer Parking: (Address)

This address takes you to the entrance of the lot where volunteers will park, not the address for your specific build. Once you arrive here, please follow directions to park and walk to the build site. Habitat staff will be on-site to help direct you to the registration tent. Please allow 15 minutes to walk to the site. A map of the parking area and build site is attached to this email for your reference.

We build rain or shine so come prepared! We will let you know if the build is canceled due to unsafe conditions.

Please respond to this email if you have any questions, we look forward to seeing you out there!

Best,

Emily Napier

Coordinating Your Group’s Food

Overview (The hospitality volunteer can help set up food.)

Food is an important part of the build site experience. Providing your volunteers breakfast, lunch, snacks, and water will help give them the energy they need to complete the build tasks for the day.

NOTE: Sponsors are asked to provide food and drinks for all volunteers building with your group. This includes your volunteers, future Habitat homeowners, Habitat construction staff, and Supervisors on Site (S.O.S.).

Breakfast

▪ Provide breakfast for 20 people.

Suggested items for breakfast include:

o Egg and cheese biscuits, apples, bananas

o Water, coffee, hot cocoa, fruit juice

o Avoid serving only sweets, volunteers will need protein!

▪ Set up breakfast by 7 a.m so volunteers may eat before the safety meeting at 7:30 a.m.

Lunch

▪ Provide a hearty lunch for 30 people (or your group number plus 10 to include future Habitat homeowners, SOS, and construction staff).

Suggested items for lunch include:

o Meat sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, chili, burritos, barbeque, tacos

o Fruit salad, pasta salad, chips, cookies, brownies

o Avoid food items that can go bad in the heat

o Be sure to include some vegetarian options

▪ Make sure lunch is ready by 11:15 a.m. All groups will break for lunch at 11:30 a.m.

sharp. If food arrives earlier, please keep volunteers building. Your Supervisor on Site (S.O.S) announces the break for lunch. It is very helpful to Habitat staff and S.O.S. when everyone breaks for lunch at the same time.

Snacks

▪ Make snacks available to your volunteers throughout the day.

Suggested items for snacks include:

o Bananas, apples, cookies, protein bars, granola bars, trail mix, etc.

o Individually wrapped snacks are easiest.

Water

▪ Provide 6-8 cases of water per day. On extremely hot days, you may go through more. In addition to water, you can provide sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. Be sure to bring coolers for water bottles.

▪ Bring a reusable water bottle. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle full of water. While we do not have recycling bins on site, we will provide large plastic bags for plastic bottles If you have a volunteer who is passionate about recycling feel free to assign a volunteer to be responsible for managing the recycling for your group.

Additional Items to Bring:

▪ Coolers for ice and water

▪ Hand sanitizer

▪ Trash bags

▪ Extra tables (optional)

▪ Utensils

▪ Paper towels

▪ Plates

▪ Folding chairs (optional)

▪ Sunscreen

▪ Coffee cups

▪ Cream/sugar

Deliveries: People bringing food, drinks, or supplies for the build may drive straight to the build site and can deliver at the hospitality tent. The delivery address is 3962 Ewing Valley Road, Nashville, TN please pull up to the tent. From here, Habitat staff will be on site to help you unload. After unloading, we kindly ask you to move your car promptly to the designated parking area at Bass Street Missionary Baptist Church, 3447 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN 37207

What Habitat Provides:

▪ Hospitality tent, two folding tables & wooden benches – These items can be found under the tent each morning.

▪ Covered area for food and registration – A large white tent will be on site for volunteer group/s to set up under.

Helpful Tips:

⸰ Buy disposable containers of coffee at Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and other locations OR make the coffee at home and bring it in a thermal container.

⸰ Keep sugary foods and drinks to a minimum because they have been known to cause upset stomachs as well as sugar highs and lows.

⸰ Review individual diet restrictions to ensure that everyone has plenty to eat and drink.

⸰ Ask vendors you use regularly if they are willing to donate food or provide a price break.

⸰ Please be aware, Habitat for Humanity is not legally able to provide sponsors/volunteer groups our tax-exempt number for purchases of food and water.

⸰ It may be helpful to have a tote where volunteers can store their valuables.

Recommended Food Vendors

Habitat has used the below vendors for various build-site food deliveries with success.

Planning Your Housewarming Gift

Oftentimes, after spending a day building with the future Habitat homeowner, a strong friendship is formed and subsequently sponsors desire to give a personal gift. Presenting your future Habitat homeowner with a housewarming gift is optional.

If you would like to purchase a housewarming gift…

□ Ask Habitat to give you a housewarming idea for the future Habitat homeowner. We may ask them discreetly if there is anything specific, they may need.

□ We recommend housewarming gifts be part of the Dedication Ceremony.

Gift Suggestions

Gift cards (for Target, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, a furniture store, etc.), washer/dryer, living room furniture, bedroom set, new mattress, and small kitchen appliances

Delivery/Installation of Gift (if applicable)

The housewarming gift, if needing installation of any kind, must be delivered after the future Habitat homeowner closes on their home. Give your future Habitat homeowner the contact information so they may schedule delivery directly with the store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have construction experience to volunteer? No experience is required to be a volunteer with Habitat Nashville. We will have construction staff and Supervisors on Site, who led you through the tasks of the day.

Should we bring our own tools? We have plenty of tools for everyone to use on-site. If they wish to bring their own tools, they should be clearly marked with their name. It is not Habitat for Humanity’s responsibility if these tools are lost during the day. Due to safety regulations, we do not allow volunteers to provide their own power tools.

Will I know what I will be doing the day of my build? It depends. Our construction staff will let us know what is likely to happen on your build day, but due to the critical path forward with construction, we cannot guarantee that volunteers will know the tasks ahead of time.

What is it like building with future Habitat homeowners? Some future Habitat homeowners are very outgoing and will reach out to the volunteers with enthusiasm. Others may be shy and not take the initiative, especially if English is their second language. One thing to remember, no matter what kind of personality they may have, they are all extremely grateful for your support and definitely looking forward to building with your volunteers.

Do we still volunteer if it is raining on my build day? Here at Habitat, we build rain or shine. However, in the case of extreme weather we will reach out to the Build Coordinator and let them make the call the day before or day of the build day.

Are there places to sit while we eat lunch? While there are a good number of benches under the volunteer tent, volunteers are more than welcome to bring folding chairs to utilize during breaks or lunch