In October, the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity AmeriCorps members went on a retreat at YMCA Camp Ihduhapi to focus on service, team building, and learning about our leadership styles.

Guest Blog by Tom Prittinen
Twin Cities Habitat Summer AmeriCorps Member

Hey folks!  As a guest writer for this blog, let me introduce myself: 

My name is Tom Prittinen, and I had the opportunity to be one half of the AmeriCorps presence on the Maple Grove build site this summer.  I am a political science major at Saint John’s University, and plan to graduate in the spring. 

This year, Twin Cities Habitat hosted 29 AmeriCorps members who dedicated themselves to a term of service supporting volunteers, homebuyers, and staff. Beginning in September, the crew served in a full-time, 40-hour per week capacity, and helped to build 50 new homes, complete 80+ projects through our A Brush With Kindness home repair program, organize community events, and coordinate 16,000+ volunteers.

As the AmeriCorps calendar year comes to a close, we wanted to celebrate the wonderful accomplishments of the 2017-18 AmeriCorps cohort in Twin Cities communities all across the metro.

Our volunteers are not the only ones giving of their time and energy to serve Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s mission. This National Volunteer Recognition Week, we are taking a day to acknowledge our AmeriCorps and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) members. Both are programs under the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) that seek to support people of all backgrounds in serving their communities.

Guest Blog by Lillie Taggart 
AmeriCorps Member at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

If you read Nick's last post about our time working at Jerry's house, you'll recall our work in Orange and exploration of Texas' Golden Triangle. We were far from home and tired from work, but there was more in store!

Our next step was Austin for a day of relaxation and play. A tour around the capitol building drove home factually what we had already learned experientially: Texas is quite different from Minnesota.

By guest blogger Nick Crowley

Guest Blog by Kristal Sawatzke
National Service Program Manager at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

Regardless of what Minnesota weather had to say about it, the Twin Cities Habitat AmeriCorps crew decided they were going to enjoy spring…even if it meant driving to Texas for some warmth and sunshine. To support another Habitat affiliate by helping with rebuilding efforts from Hurricane Harvey, 15 AmeriCorps members and two staff piled into a couple of 12-passenger vans on Monday, April 2, and hit the road (conveniently missing 7” of snow in the Twin Cities).

Guest Blog by Shannon Twiss and Lillie Taggart
2017-18 Habitat AmeriCorps Members

You might just be adjusting to the chilly winter temperatures, but early in December on the first really cold weekend of the winter, 17 members of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's AmeriCorps cohort bundled up and made the trek north to Virginia, Minnesota. We spent three days putting up siding (yes, outdoors), learning about a different Habitat affiliate, and getting to know one another better.

It’s the look in their eyes that gives them away and on which I hone every Wednesday at whatever Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity site I’m working. I can shake my head in faux understanding with the best of them. But for self-preservation, I look for the heads that aren’t shaking and for confidence that registers only through the eyes.