Guest blog by Shannon Twiss
Volunteer Coordinator and AmeriCorps member

April 8-12 is National Volunteer Recognition week, not just at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, but all across the country. Each year, nonprofit organizations and communities recognize volunteers and celebrate service. National Volunteer Week was established by Points of Light, and started in 1974.

The relationship between Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Holy Hammers started in 1999, and continues to this day. The coalition of churches from the northern suburbs of St. Paul is celebrating its 20th year of partnership with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. 

Wendy Harris is a giver. She gives her time, her talents, her knowledge, her friendship, her physical labor, and even her money to others in an effort to make someone's life better, to make the world a better place.

From September to mid-June, Wendy works as a social studies teacher at Metro Deaf School in St. Paul, where she also teaches braille and technology to DeafBlind students and coordinates the DeafBlind club. During her summer breaks, she volunteers at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. We are honored to have the support of volunteers and donors like Wendy. Here's her story.

Last year, over 300 Winter Warriors volunteered with Twin Cities Habitat between December and February. And now it’s time for you to join the charge!

“We sometimes see a small drop in volunteers during winter months,” say Volunteer Coordinator and AmeriCorps member, Shannon Twiss. That’s why the volunteer team created a Winter Warrior campaign in 2017.

So what is a Winter Warrior you ask?

It’s anyone that volunteers three times in between December 1 and February 28. From volunteering at the Habitat office, the ReStore, or even a construction site. You can also easily become a Winter Warrior by gathering five friends or family members for a one-time volunteer day.

For Todd Roach and his family, giving has always been a part of family life.

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. 

“Always do the right thing,” instructs the big block letters on the back of a t-shirt. It’s early May on a construction site in North Minneapolis and dozens of workers are moving about in matching green shirts with those same five words which happen to be the Ryan Companies motto. They’re the primary sponsor of this home and the kelly-clad workers scattered across the site are Ryan team members. Throughout the course of the year more than 300 Ryan employees (from field staff to the finance team and everyone in between) helped build this two-story, four-bedroom home.

Some people think Habitat for Humanity is about helping people less fortunate than you. It’s really about looking past finances, seeing the humanity we all share, and then building a community with the assets we each have. Hank Pohl exemplifies this.

Meet our New Brighton ReStore wood-working volunteer, Calvin, everyone!

House Month Volunteers are individuals who choose to give a month of their time on a single project. They go through a training class, and get to see the progress of a home for an entire month! How exciting is that?

Not only is it interesting to see how much can be done on a home within that time-frame, but a House Month Volunteer also gets to meet several groups of volunteers that come to help and grow a rapport with the site supervisor and/or AmeriCorps member.