There are some common misconceptions that might prevent people from volunteering with us. Here, we address certain myths - and hopefully, make it clear that anyone is welcome to volunteer with Habitat!

Myth: You need to have construction experience to volunteer. 

Fact: You don’t need to have construction experience to volunteer! We welcome volunteers of all abilities and skill levels - and we’ll teach you everything you need to know! In fact, volunteering with Habitat is a great way to learn new skills.

Myth: Helping build a home is the only way to volunteer with Habitat. 

Fact: Working on the build site is just one of many ways to give your time! We also need 
volunteers to help out in the ReStore, provide meals, work on home preservation projects, help us plan events, and more. Check out our list of volunteer roles to see if there’s something that appeals to you. If you have an idea for a volunteer project, role, or activity that’s not on our website, let us know! We welcome anyone who would like to share their expertise and ideas.

Myth: Habitat only builds in the summer.

Fact: We do a lot of building over the summer months, when it’s warm enough to have 
construction crews working outside, but we need volunteers year-round. Our builds usually go well into the winter, and we also need volunteers for home preservation projects and the ReStore in every season. 

Myth: Volunteering is a long-term commitment.

Fact: Volunteers can help as much or as little as they want! Whether you want to join us 
for one afternoon of building or return every week, we’re happy to welcome you to the Habitat community.

​It was great to get to know the Care-a-Vanners while they were in town! Most of them spend about 6 or 7 weeks on the road a year, visiting different Habitat build sites across the country. Sometimes they visit sites close to home in Minnesota, but they’ve also gone as far away as Texas and New Mexico to help out at build sites there. We interviewed a few of the volunteers about their experiences and relationship to Habitat.

Lowell
​Lowell, from the small Wisconsin town of Milton, was the only non-Minnesotan Care-a-Vanner who traveled to Grand Rapids this year. He and his wife, Linda, have been traveling around to different build sites for almost ten years! Lowell’s favorite part of Care-a-Vanning is the people he meets. Some of his favorite Care-a-Vanning memories include sitting around the fire at night with other Care-a-Vanners, relaxing and getting to know each other. Lowell and Linda have stayed in touch with some of the Care-a-Vanners they’ve met. They call Care-a-Vanning “a worthwhile way to spend retirement!”

Diane
Diane worked in social work and education for years, and saw up close a need for affordable housing. After retiring she sold her home, and before moving into a new home she saw an opportunity to help. She just started Care-a-Vanning in the past year, beginning with a long stint in Florida, visiting Myrtle Beach and Panama City.

​Diane describes her time in Panama City as ”eye-opening” – she saw a lot of inequality and met a lot of people living in transition. However, she also saw that a lot of people were there to help, and she was able to meet people from all over the country. She’s grateful that her only Care-a-Vanning mishap so far has been a flat tire in Panama City, and she immediately found someone to help her out.