This article was written for Holl and Lane Magazine Issue 18: Impact. Read the full article on page 56.
I’ve been involved with Habitat for Humanity since I was a kid. My dad was actively involved in our local chapter growing up and I went on my first build when I was 16. When my church sponsored a build when I was 28, I knew I would participate from the moment they broke ground. I signed up for every volunteer shift I was available for to work on that house.
I didn’t expect that volunteering for that particular build would open up a whole new opportunity to impact so many lives in such a profound way.
I can honestly say that I don’t remember much about the family my church sponsored but as I hung drywall, built shelves and painted, I saw this plot of land transform into a house. When I attended the home dedication a few months later, I watched as four families put down roots in our city and knew that because of my work, their lives were forever changed.
After that build, I volunteered on a few more build sites, I brought hot chili to build crews on cold winter days, and then an opportunity to become a home interviewer came up. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
I will never forget my first home interview.