‘Builders Club’ volunteers play integral role in Habitat’s mission

Volunteer labor accounts for the majority of the work done on each house

ROANOKE, Va. – It is a community effort to make sure our “Home for Good” project in partnership with Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley is a success each year.

On Wednesday, Glo Fiber, one of this year’s generous sponsors, provided lunch for volunteers at the site.

Volunteers play an essential role in Habitat’s mission to build affordable housing, and week after week there are familiar faces you will see at Habitat’s construction sites. They are known as the “Builders Club” and they are recurring volunteers who not only help to build Habitat homes across the area but also give guidance to new volunteers.

“They come out most of the time every week, sometimes several days a week, and we just always can rely on them,” said Gina Dunnavant, Habitat’s Volunteer Manager.

Patrick Moore and his wife started giving back through Habitat 20 years ago. He said joining the Builders Club was initially a way to stay occupied as he prepared for retirement but it is now his passion. He said he and his wife are often reminded of Habitat’s impact.

“We ran into a family that we built a house for over there and she came up to Susan and I and gave us big hugs and thanked us for the work we had done and said how much her children have grown by having their own room,” Moore said.

The work of the Builders Club not only helps to keep Habitat’s builds on schedule, it also helps Habitat keep their homes affordable.

“Volunteer labor accounts for over 75 percent of the work that is done on the house,” Dunnavant said. “That is a cost savings that we pass on to the homeowner so their mortgage reflects that we didn’t have to pay labor to build the houses.”

That means volunteers like Patrick and other members of the Builders Club can do more of what they love: build community, block by block.

Work on this year’s “Home for Good” is scheduled to wrap up in late summer.