Join a Committee

Office

Involves all general office functions (e.g. answering telephones, forwarding messages from voice mail boxes, processing and responding to mail, recording the receipt of donations, computer data entry, assembling committee and board mailings, designing flyers, etc.). We currently have no physical office, but may have in the future. For now, these tasks will be performed at your home or at the homes of other volunteers, board or committee members.

Publications

Includes publication of the quarterly Newsletter (e.g. writing, editing, and formatting).

Public Relations

Includes recruiting and scheduling volunteers through Habitat Speakers’ Bureau to speak at churches, service clubs, and other organizations. Also includes public relations contacts between Habitat and the media (e.g. radio, television, print media) and keeping abreast of Habitat for Humanity International activities and publicity opportunities.

Fund Raising

Includes organizing fund raising events and activities such as walkathons, golf tournaments, etc. Also includes researching new ideas, opportunities and resources for fund raising (e.g. grants, and corporate sources, government funds, etc).

Hospitality

Includes assisting in organizing social events for the organization (e.g. parties, ground-breaking ceremonies, other celebrations). Also includes responsibility for organizing provision of food for such events, and for recruiting and organizing the churches which commit to providing the construction crews with lunch when required.

Warm Body Brigade

Recruits volunteers for occasional brief tasks, such as preparing quarterly Newsletter for mailing, walking the annual Human Race walkathon, fund raiser or other such events, and other office tasks as needed.

Site Selection

Includes facilitating the procurement of land for the construction of simple, easy-to-build, inexpensive, affordable ownership homes, and locating suitable rehabilitation projects. Also includes working on plans and preparations for future habitat construction and rehabilitation projects by assisting in the planning, design, and layout for future Habitat projects, processing proposed plans through governmental agencies; and assisting in the preparation of construction documents, subdivision maps, infrastructure plans, financing, and other documents required by governmental agencies for zoning, planning, and building permit applications.

Construction / Rehabilitation

Includes all activities related to on-site construction of housing. Habitat is especially eager to recruit volunteers who have construction skills and experience (especially volunteers who can supervise construction projects). They also welcome unskilled volunteers, who are assigned simple tasks, and are often trained in new construction skills, allowing skilled volunteers to complete more complex construction tasks. Work days are scheduled for Saturdays and other days when volunteers and supervision are available.

Family Selection

This committee meets frequently during the three (3) months prior to the beginning of a construction project (usually once a year). Activities include review of applications for homes, interviewing applicant families in their home, checking references and financial information, and selecting the families to be recommended to the Board of Directors to build homes in partnership with Habitat, and to purchase these homes. Spanish-speakers and other language speakers and bi-=lingual volunteers are especially valuable to our work in Monterey County.

Family Nurture

Includes acting as a liaison between Habitat and partner families who are building and buying Habitat homes. They seek feedback from homeowners in the hope of improving the function of the organization. If the homeowners seek assistance with specific problems, Habitat endeavors to connect homeowners with whatever resources might prove helpful. Spanish-speakers and other language speakers and bilingual volunteers are especially valuable to our work in Monterey County.

Volunteer Coordination

Includes developing and scheduling volunteer resource needs, scheduling orientations and training for volunteers, maintaining volunteer data base, and scheduling volunteers as requested by committees for affiliate activities and construction projects. Also includes keeping volunteer participation records, and assuring nurturing and acknowledgment of volunteers.