Nailed It! Our Build Day with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County
Written by Mitchell Moravec, Donor Engagement Officer
On February 5th, Triangle Community Foundation had the privilege and honor of co-sponsoring Habitat for Humanity of Orange County’s “Opening Doors” summit – a semi-annual gathering of likeminded folks who came together to discuss the realities around building and funding affordable housing. President and CEO of the Orange County chapter Jennifer Player was a champion of optimism for the event, and asked everyone who is part of the housing continuum to “refuse to rest until everyone in Orange County has a decent place to live.” We took Jennifer’s call to action to heart and complemented the event with our own Build Day volunteer experience in the Weavers Grove community in May.
An Intentional Community
Weavers Grove is a planned mixed-income housing community. Creating a thriving, multi-faceted community with both affordable and market-rate housing units enhances the vibrancy and resiliency of these future residents. Research shows that growing up in a mixed-income neighborhood makes a profound difference in the lives of children from lower income families and creates amenities that appeal and serve a diverse homeowner base. Build Day participant and Orange County resident Ann Leonard shared, “The community is so well conceptualized with the way the development was laid out, the open space, the recreational space, the community buildings, and public transportation. What a wonderful place to call home!”
From playground spaces to nature walking trails to future community garden spaces - the principles of Weavers Grove are designed to be a groundbreaking solution for intentional strong communities in Orange County.
Percussive Persuasion
A ‘build day’ experience with many Habitat for Humanity affiliates typically means you are joining in on whatever phase of the construction the homes are typically in. There is no construction experience required, and you can sign up as an individual volunteer or with a group.
For the group of us that Friday morning, it was hammering nails and wall sheathing. Build days usually have on-site construction experts to guide your efforts. Our lead inspired a lesson in making the magic happen – when in doubt, pound it out! The beauty of ‘percussive persuasion’ meant letting the hammers do the talking and trusting the process. Participant and Foundation Chief Operations Officer LaToya King joked, “My hat is truly off to the people who build these homes. It takes a tremendous amount of skill, patience, and commitment. I certainly lacked skills and patience!”
Despite the many nails that didn’t make it into the walls that day, a profound appreciation for the Habitat volunteer experience was shared by all.
Bringing It Home
Weavers Grove was not built in a day. The Foundation’s volunteer team’s collective construction skills mustered up a few quality walls in a couple of hours, but the work lies ahead of all of us refusing to rest until we address housing affordability in a big way.
All acts of service big and small move the impact of organizations like Habitat for Humanity forward. Build day participant and Orange County resident Frank Konhaus reflected, “It always gets you outside of your own bubble and troubles when you work toward a common goal.”
This common goal was complemented in a recent national announcement of Pope Leo Village – a tremendous anonymous donation that will fund 20 Habitat Affiliates across the country in getting more homes built, with Habitat Orange County and Habitat Greater Raleigh representing this cohort. Three homes will break ground in Weavers Grove in June. Five more in September. There’s renewed energy for safe, intentional, and prosperous communities across the Triangle. Will you answer the call?
Learn how you can get involved:
Habitat Orange Volunteer Link: https://www.orangehabitat.org/volunteer
Habitat Greater Raleigh Volunteer link: https://www.habitatraleigh.org/volunteer
Habitat Durham Volunteer Link: https://www.durhamhabitat.org/volunteer
Chatham Habitat Volunteer Link: https://www.chathamhabitat.org/volunteer