July Construction Update

At Jubilee Commons, volunteers have almost finished siding and painting. Soon, they will move inside the homes to finish insulation and start hanging drywall on the four one-bedroom homes.

At Lents Landing, the Women Build home is finished and the four homes under construction are looking good! Women Builders did a great job on the Rival Lopez family home and the family signed their mortgage papers and received the keys the last week of June! Women Builders are invited to keep their skills sharp or learn new ones at the upcoming summer training clinics at two local Lowe’s stores. Classes will cover a variety of topics from roofing to framing to power tools.

At the other four homes at Lents, volunteers have finished hanging doors and windows and are almost finished roofing. This month, they will paint and hang siding.

Pens & Hammers
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Volunteer Spotlight

AmeriCorps Construction Site Assistants

Nicole Patterson, Bryce Kardon, and Nerissa Lindenfelser

Nicole, Bryce and Nerissa have worked hard all year on our construction sites through the AmeriCorps National Direct program. If you have been out to a Habitat site, chances are you recognize their smiling faces! Every morning, the construction site assistants help to get volunteers oriented and ready to build homes with Habitat for Humanity. They then spend their days on the construction sites working with partner families and volunteers to build affordable homes.

AmeriCorps is a national service program whose members serve in all 50 states nationwide. In exchange for a small living allowance and an education award, members serve at least 1,700 hours over ten and a half months with an agency that serves their community. Our current AmeriCorps members will finish their year of service at the end of July.

We are so thankful to Nicole, Bryce and Nerissa for all of their hard work on the construction sites. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!

Want to buy Habitat gear and accessories?

Go to the Habitat Gift Shop!

Frequently Asked Questions About Construction

I’ve never volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Portland/ Metro East. How can I learn more about the organization?

Attend an volunteer orientation every third Saturday of each month from 10:00am to 11:00am at the current construction developments. We recommend attending a volunteer orientation before your first volunteer day, although it is not mandatory.

How old do I have to be (or can I be) to volunteer?

Volunteers must be 16 years old or older. Volunteers under the age of 18 must bring a youth waiver signed by a parent, with them to the construction site on their scheduled build day. Minor volunteers may not operate power tools or work at heights above six feet.

When can I volunteer for construction?

The construction sites are open Wednesday through Saturday, from 8:30am until 3:30pm and we ask that volunteers commit a full work day. It is important to arrive on time so that you do not miss sign-in, safety instruction, and work crew assignments.

What if I’ve never done any construction before?

All skill levels are welcome. We assume no skills or prior construction experience, and the construction staff will provide plenty of instruction and supervision throughout the day.

What kind of work will we do?

All sorts of work takes place on a Habitat construction site. Please be prepared to assist in whatever the day’s tasks may be and remember that every job helps to build homes! If you have special skills–don’t be shy!–let construction staff know upon your arrival in case you can be of unique assistance. While tasks often include using power tools or working at heights, volunteers will not be expected to do any task that make them uncomfortable.

What to expect on site

We do not discriminate on basis of race, creed, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.

The day begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m.

We do not have set break times, but please take breaks whenever needed.

Be conscious of the safety of others and yourself.

Do not continue working on a task that you are unable to do or feel uncertain about.

If you have any questions please ask.

Hard hats are to be worn when any overhead tasks are being performed.

Volunteers must wear protective glasses anytime he or she is operating power tools.

We work year-round and work outside in the rain. We only cancel work when there is dangerous weather.

Breakdown of the day

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Site Host and Site Lead arrive.
8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.	Volunteers sign in by completing a waiver form and making a name tag.
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m	Site Supervisor provides a safety talk, and assigns tasks for the day.
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Work on assigned task.
	If you need another task or are uncomfortable working on the task you were assigned, please talk to the Site Supervisor. Thank you in advance for your patience.
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.	Lunch
	Volunteers are welcome to go off site, but please return by 12:45 p.m.
12:45 p.m. -3:30 p.m.	Work on assigned task.
3:30 p.m.	Clean-up!

What to wear

Closed-toe shoes or boots. Tennis shoes are most common on the work site. You will not be allowed to volunteer on site if you wear sandals or flip flops.
Comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting paint on or getting dirty. Light clothing is recommended for the hot weather. Layering clothing is recommended for cold weather. Please wear rain pants and jacket when working in the rain.

What to bring

Water bottle
Sunscreen
Lunch and snacks (unless provided by your volunteer group)
Personal tools, if you have them! For example: hammer, tape measure, carpenter’s pencil, work gloves, safety glasses.

Rules and Recommendations

We recommend you do not bring valuables, including jewelry, to our worksites.
Personal power tools are not allowed on our worksites.
There is no smoking, drugs, or alcohol allowed on our worksites.
All volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 21 years old. All youth must have a youth waiver form completed and signed by a parent or guardian prior to volunteering on site.

What if I need verification for my service hours?

We are happy to provide a signed letter on our letterhead documenting your volunteer hours. Please request a letter for your total hours, after your last volunteer day is complete, by emailing sarah@habitatportlandmetro.org. Allow two weeks from your request to receive your letter in the mail. We cannot guarantee that we can provide your letter earlier, so please plan accordingly.

How do I sign up to volunteer?

Volunteers must schedule their build days in advance. Because it’s important to us that all our volunteers have a productive and rewarding experience, we only recruit the number of volunteers that we can safely and comfortably accomodate on each day. Therefore, volunteers must reserve a spot for themselves before their build day by registering online through our website. When we have recruited the maximum number of volunteers that we can host on a particular day, we will no longer recruit additional volunteers.