In celebration of National Volunteer Week (April 23-29), we are thrilled to highlight some of our awesome build site volunteers who help build homes and hope everyday! Bob Johnson has been a friendly face on our build sites for many years, helping thousands of volunteers learn to build. Bob is one of our beloved retiree volunteers, whom we affectionately refer to as our “Rusty Nails.”
Here is Bob’s Habitat LA Story.
I began my association with the Habitat for Humanity South Bay/Long Beach affiliate (now Habitat LA) in early 2003, when my church was part of the South Bay Coalition of Lutheran Churches sponsoring a home at the Plaza del Amo project of 16 homes. After volunteering a few times, I found it very rewarding working with a group of other volunteers from various professions wanting to give back to their community and help reduce the scarcity of homes for the needy. I decided this was a commitment I wanted to continue for the long term.
There are several things I enjoy about volunteering on site, including:
- I can see a home built from the ground up, and experience the pride and joy of the homeowners as they see their home become a reality
- As a crew leader helping untrained volunteers learn new skills related to homebuilding
- Meeting new people from all walks of life with interesting backgrounds
- Learning the latest construction techniques from the Habitat supervisory staff
Bob Johnson (2nd from left) Volunteer since 2003.