Habitat for Humanity April 2009 Volunteer Newsletter

Volunteer News V O L U M E

“Habitat gives us an opportunity which is very difficult to find: to reach out and work side by side with those who never have had a decent home—but work with them on a completely equal basis. It’s not a big-shot, little-shot relationship. It’s a sense of equality.”

—Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter INSIDE THIS ISSUE: National Volunteer Week

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UBC Civil Engineers

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Present Projects to CEO Volunteer Video Debut

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Be a Fundraiser!

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New Baby Joins Habitat Family

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Long-time Volunteer Gives

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His All Calendar of Events

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Letter from Site Supervisor

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Volunteer Donates

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Scholarship This Month on Site

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We Need Your Help!!!

Construction workers who are Level 2 and 3 OFA First Aid Attendants to fill comfortable working with in when the regular attendant is not on-site. An volunteers on a unique site to help extra First Aid Attendant is needed every build on Thursday, Friday and Saturday Saturday on our Burnaby build site. from 8am to Tradesmen/ 5pm. instructors, Carpenters, retired/semielectricians, cabinet retired home builders, handymen and fixer-uppers for Vancouver reno-enthusiasts to be and Burnaby ReStores Crew Leaders on our Monday through Saturday and Burnaby build site our Burnaby Build Site Thursday, Friday and Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Saturday. A Crew Leader is someone who can lead groups of unskilled volunteers on If you would like to volunteer for any Floor Helpers to help site projects, help of these positions or would like more with shipping and familiarize them with site information, please contact Tanya, receiving, organizing, tools and techniques and pricing and stocking shelves in Volunteer Coordinator at: make the on-site our Vancouver and Burnaby experience more ReStores Monday through 604-681-5618 comfortable for Saturday. volunteer@vancouverhabitat.bc.ca less-practiced volunteers. Previous Cashiers/Customer Service knowledge of Representatives to ring in sales, make construction is useful change, and help answer customer calls but not essential. Most and questions at our Vancouver and Burnaby important is that Crew ReStores Monday through Saturday.

Leaders have transferable skills from a related Site Hosts who can welcome site volunteers, ensure that they field and sign-in and sign the safety waiver properly, pick up and set out the supplies for coffee breaks and lunch and ensure that the site is patience adequately supplied. Site Hosts work from 8am to 1:30pm Thursday, to help Friday and Saturday at our Burnaby Build Site. others learn.

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Happy National Volunteer Week!!

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver wants to send a special thank you to all of its volunteers. People like you who give from your hearts and help make the world a better place.

Thank you!!!

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U B C C I V I L E N G I N E E R S P R E S E N T R E S E A R C H TO C E O The collaboration between UBC’s Learning Initiative, UBC Civil Engineering students and Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver has come to a successful conclusion with outstanding results.

insulation techniques.

The second project included a report called “Site Acquisition and Land-Use for Future Development” and From January to March of this year, the was researched by Manvil Lo, students have been working on two separate Rocky Yau, Kelvin Chand, research projects for Habitat.

Travis Pehlke and Javin Chen. The students outlined In early March they presented the fruits of their labour to Anneke Rees, CEO after giving ways Habitat could go about fascinating presentations on what they found. getting land for its next project with a special The first project yielded a report entitled emphasis on the acquisition “Designing Greener Houses” and was put and development of existing together by Derek Lee, Joseph Kim, Niraj structures for use as social Sunuwar, Robinson Bancroft and Mary Jane Anneke Rees, CEO, accepts final research reports from UBC housing.

Howie. The group found ways for Habitat to students in the Vancouver office boardroom. make its next project more environmentally- Anneke was very impressed with the work the students did for us and was the two groups and all of the hard work they friendly than the current one. Some of the grateful for the tips and reminders that the put into their projects. Special thanks to things their report covers are alternative students gave her.

Komiete Tetteh, a UBC Planning student, who energy sources, photovoltaic systems, water conservation and management and alternative Tanya, Volunteer Coordinator, was proud of helped Tanya lead the groups.

Habitat Volunteer Goes Hollywood!

James Hughes, Habitat Volunteer Recruiting Consultant, will be making his big screen debut at Volunteer Vancouver’s 21st Annual Volunteer Celebration at the Centre in Vancouver on April 30th 2009.

James was approached by Volunteer Vancouver and asked whether he minded appearing in a set of video clips on volunteering that will be shown on the big screen on the big night.

Being the generous soul that he is, he conceded. The shots include James on the Habitat build site.

So, stay tuned and watch out for this rising Habitat star! Break a leg James!

James Hughes has been volunteering for Habitat since September of 2008. He is a recruiter and has been helping Tanya, the Volunteer Coordinator, recruit more skilled labour to the site.

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Be a Fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity Today in Canada more than 1.3 million families live in substandard housing. Raising funds for Habitat for Humanity is a great way to help us eradicate this national and local crisis.

your fundraising webpage:

fundraiser:

*Share the page with friends, family and supporters

*Raise funds for a special event on behalf of Habitat for Humanity, *Personalize or start it with a your own video and event! images To help you get started, Habitat These for Humanity provides easy-to- *Email your could fundraising use online tools for building a include a personal fundraising page. Your message and bike-athon, webpage will help you promote your page walkyour fundraiser and keep family, *Track your fundraising results athon, friends and any other visitors to local penny drive, charity Here's a handful of suggestions your page involved every step formal, bake sale, car wash - let to help you get started or spark of the way. your imagination loose! ideas for your own original Here's what you can do with *In lieu of a gift for special Habitat for Humanity

occasions like weddings, birthdays, an anniversary, dinner party - any occasion!

Send a donation to Habitat for Humanity. Set up your webpage to help raise awareness and support your request. *Volunteer on an upcoming build. Ask family and friends to support your volunteer efforts by making it a pledge-drive.

Build in a goal, post it on your webpage, and try to meet your target!

Visit www.vancouverhabitat.bc.ca to get started today!

WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE HEART OF GOLD Terry McKenzie, a long-time volunteer for Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver, started volunteering on Phase 2. He has been with us ever since putting in sewer lines, water lines, roads, excavation and more. Now, a contractor with his own business specializing in infrastructure, he is working on Phase 5 and 6.

He has a wealth of constructionrelated knowledge and experience.

For the past 40 years, he has been a Construction Superintendent and before that a Construction Foreman.

He holds a Construction Management Degree from Kwantlen College and certifications of competency in Advanced Blueprint reading and estimating from the Amalgamated Construction Association of B.C. He also has various First Aid certificates.

Terry’s dedication to Habitat over the years is admirable. He hopes to help Habitat produce more housing units and get other tradespeople like himself to give back and make a difference by offering their services at a reduced rate, or for free!

Habitat Staff Member Welcomes New Baby Boy! Marvin and Laurie Wingett are proud to announce the birth of their first son: Jake William Dennis Wingett Jake was born on Friday April 9th at 7:49pm at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. He weighed 8lbs and measured 20 inches long.

The proud mom, dad and baby are all happy, healthy and resting at home. Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver extends its warmest congratulations to one of our dear staff members and his family.

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Schedule of Events

APRIL 2009

April 2,3,4—Build Days

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April 10—Good Friday—Site closed

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April 9, 11—Build Days

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April 12,13—Easter

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April 15—Volunteer Orientation

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April 16, 17, 18—Build Days April 23,24,25—Build Days

MAY 2009

April 30—Build Day

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Mo Tue Wed Th

May 1,2—Build Days

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May 7,8,9—Build Days

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May 20—Volunteer Orientation

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May 21,22,23—Build Days

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May 14,15,16—Build Days

May 28,29,30—Build Days

Site Supervisor Appreciates All Your Help Hi all, Spring has sprung and the warm weather has returned. We had a tough winter of building out at the site, but despite lots of snow and temperatures that dropped as low as minus 14 degrees, we have made great progress.

Terry, Site Supervisor, overseeing Operations in the site office.

We have completed the installation of the sewer and water service for phase 5 and 6, and the work has been inspected and passed by the City of Burnaby. All of the work on the road has been completed except for the blacktop, which we will install at a later time.

Over the winter volunteers have made good use of the covered work area and framing table that we built at the top of the site. Volunteers have framed all of the exterior wall panels for phase 5 and stored them ready for use. In recent weeks crews have framed all of the laminated beams we will need to install around the stair openings and pre-built all of the interior stair units.

We have installed and compacted the crushed rock pad for the base of the phase 5 foundation and we began work on forming the foundation. The foundation should be complete in the next couple of weeks and then it is full steam ahead to erect the walls and get the roof in place before fall.

Well done you guys.

Happy National Volunteer Week. I hope you’ll come out and join us!

Terry.

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High School Volunteer Wins Award for Work at Habitat Victoria Lee has been volunteering for Habitat since last summer and has been a huge proponent of the work Habitat does at her school, Collingwood High School in West Vancouver.

She recently won a $200 Violet Richardson Award from the Soroptimists and has generously decided to give it to us.

The Violet Richardson Award is a recognition program for young women ages 14-17 engaged in volunteer action within their communities or schools.

The Violet Richardson Award is given to young women whose volunteer activities make the community and world a better place. The award is in honour of the president of the first Soroptimist club, Violet Richardson, a woman of action, whose indomitable spirit and sense of personal responsibility were demonstrated by her lifelong commitment to volunteering in her community.

Volunteer projects can include, but are not limited to, projects that address social problems such as homelessness, violence, drug abuse, unemployment, illiteracy, discrimination, AIDS, and pollution.

Projects may assist any group including the elderly, the disabled, and mentally or emotionally challenged groups.

Projects that benefit women or girls are especially valued. Topics can include, but are not limited to mentoring, sexual harassment, sexual decision-making, teen parenting, careers, finances and any other projects that specifically benefit women, young women or girls.

This award is based solely on her volunteer work. This award is an opportunity to honor a girl who might not otherwise receive recognition. She may not be the best student, the best athlete, or the most popular girl in school, but she is committed to making the world a better place.

Victoria Lee (centre) and her mother, Sophia Choi (left), pose alongside Soroptimist co-ordinator Bonnie McLaren at the Soroptomist International awards dinner (photo courtesy of North Shore News) especially six thousand miles away.

organization’s help throughout the Thus, I researched for more ways year and this donation is one of to volunteer locally, in addition to many ways to express our gratitude. We hope that the Home visiting a local elderly home and teaching dance to younger students Ground First’s contribution has aided the organization. at school.

As I wanted to give other students the same opportunity as my India trip has bestowed upon me, I We sat down with this inspiring All awards are given for activities 17-year-old and asked her why she created a volunteer group called conducted on a volunteer basis.

'Home Ground First’ at school. is so dedicated to Habitat for Coincidentally, a recent newspaper Humanity. report confirming an increase of Why did you decide to start 300% in homelessness in my area volunteering for Habitat? raised an even greater urge in my Don’t forget While passion for helping and heart to employ a hands-on sharing with others has been with volunteering approach. to join our me since I was young and the Why did you decide to donate group on three-week journey to India 2 your scholarship award money Facebook! years ago was the turning point of to us?

Just search my volunteering life.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Habitat for I stayed in Anandwan, a small Vancouver has given the Home village of outcasts in India, where I Ground First participants and me Humanity Greater so many opportunities to learn not Vancouver and click to join. witnessed many wonders of life and redefined my volunteerism. only about construction process It’s easy, quick and a great but also about the world outside of When I came back to Canada, I way to stay in touch and school. We met new people, wanted to do something keep updated on what’s worthwhile in my own way, making acquired new skills and chances to volunteering an integral part of my apply our knowledge beyond going on at Habitat. textbook. life, not an annual or special See you there! occasion that I could only perform We are grateful for the

What are your plans for the future?

My post-secondary aspiration is to be a broadcast journalist in a proactive role, advocating for the balance of our economically bipolar world.

An alternative career path I have contemplated is that of a valuable United Nations official, those so often hidden from the public eye, standing up for the underprivileged and disadvantaged.

Whichever path I embark, I will continue to volunteer, helping those in needs, both locally and internationally.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver would like to thank Victoria and her school for all the help they’ve given us over the past year.

Victoria’s work, leadership skills and philanthropy are to be admired. Thank you!

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THIS MONTH ON OUR BUILD SITE

Special Thanks to Harvey McKinnon Associates and Investors Group!