Join a regular construction crew

To a volunteer, the benefits of joining a regular construction crew for Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) are that it’s fun, there’s great camaraderie and you get the chance to help others. For TCHFH the benefits are stability and reliability on the build site. Our regular crews are often the deciding factor in whether partner families move in on time. These crews are made up of big-hearted people willing to make an extra commitment to Habitat’s mission.

Profiles of regular crews:

Stonecutters

Leaders: Chuck Coskran and Tom Saterstrom

Affiliation: First Universalist Church, Minneapolis

On-site: First Thursday of each month

First Universalist has had a strong partnership with TCHFH for many years. Members were doing Saturday builds and a weeklong workcamp in the summer. Then some volunteers wanted to do more. They formed a brand-new regular crew.

“We decided to try this as a mid-week kind of thing,” explains Tom Saterstrom, who coordinates the monthly builds. “There are a lot of retired people like myself who would like to get involved more frequently or on a regular basis. We’ve gotten lots of response from people.”

“People find it rewarding to do hands-on work,” says Saterstrom. “Working shoulder-to-shoulder with people you get to know them differently, and I think they‘re finding the expansion of their friendships within the church has been good.”

The work fits with the congregation’s commitment to social justice and allows volunteers the opportunity to make a tangible difference in one day. “You guys have already invented the wheel …we just fit our people into your program,” he says, “It’s just really easy.”

 G.Alumni

Leader: Peter Jensen

Affiliation: General Mills retirees

On-site: The second Tuesday of each month

This regular crew is made up of former General Mills employees who are continuing the company’s dedication to service into their retirement years.

“It’s sort of a continuation of the lifestyle we lived when we were active employees,” says Peter Jensen who coordinates the retirees. Peter won this year’s GM Vanguard Volunteer Award. Until two years ago, Peter didn’t know TCHFH built year round. “In working with Habitat, I became aware of the need for extra volunteer help needed in the winter,” he remembers. “I said ‘Hey, Let’s get started and at least do this once a month.’”

Peter says crew members enjoy seeing past co-workers and having the sense that we’ve gotten something done at the end of the day. Their crew members range in ability from beginners to craftsman but they’re always picking up new skills on site.

If you’re interested in joining or forming a regular crew, please email Anna.Meyer@tchabitat.org or call her at 612-305-7164.

By Laura Grevas