Habitat lays foundation for love

Al Onkka and Leigh Dotson got engaged in December and are getting married in July. The Minneapolis couple met in the fall of 2006 while serving as AmeriCorps members for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH). Their experience at Habitat meant a lot to them, but the most significant part was finding each other.

Al and Leigh worked on separate sites as construction volunteer facilitators. Leigh was teamed with site supervisor Terra Lumley and Al with Linda Bouley. They each remember meeting new people and learning construction skills.

“That was the first full-time work experience for me,” Al says. “It was a good way to transition into working after school.”

The pair got acquainted through AmeriCorps events, but it wasn’t until summer when they joined forces on a multi-unit build in Ramsey that they really got to know each other. They spent eight hours together each day onsite, becoming close friends. Their chemistry must have shown, because Al remembers, “Even volunteers asked if we were dating.”

They went on an unofficial date that summer to dinner and a movie, but they waited until after their AmeriCorps term to start dating for real. Al is now pursuing a grad degree in Evaluation and Leigh is an esthetician. They are excited about their wedding this summer, which will be at Al’s parents’ home in Wisconsin.

They will always remember their AmeriCorps experience fondly, both as the time they met and also when they started their lives as adults.

“The AmeriCorps program at Habitat was a good opportunity for a lot of things,” Leigh says. “I gained experience in leading people and working with diverse individuals. It was also the first exposure I had to housing issues.”

Since Habitat has such special meaning for them, they’ve included an option on the gift registry for their guests to donate to TCHFH.

Contributed by Julie Wedig