I have had a great experience volunteering with DuPage Habitat. Friendly staff and lead volunteers. And they are doing great work for our communities.
DuPage Habitat set a goal for the last fiscal year of serving 47 families - and by the year's end it had served 52 families. At the same time the Affiliate assisted a neighboring affiliate with advice and counsel (finance, retailing, mgmt) and also helped them complete a home that has now been sold to a family in that affiliate's service area. The DuPage ED and his Senior Leadership Team deserve accolades for their hard work this fiscal year.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity helps so many deserving families! I joined early this year and everyone is so positive and dedicated. The entire staff, Board and volunteers are so welcoming and receptive. Joining this family was made very easy.
I have been volunteering for Habitat for Humanity since I retired eight years ago. I looked into several charitable organizations, many of which I found to be worthy, but most of them shared one drawback: they gave disadvantaged people a hand-out. There is a lot of truth in the old comparison of giving someone a fish versus teaching him how to fish. Hand-outs tend to perpetuate dependence.
Habitat is different in that regard. Habitat carefully screens the people it selects for its program, then it requires that they put in “sweat equity” and take classes to learn the financial and minor repair skills that they will need as homeowners. Finally, when they take title to their home, they have to pay a mortgage just like any other homeowner. The mortgage is structured to make home ownership possible for them, but it is still a mortgage. Habitat then uses those mortgage payments to buy land and building materials to build more homes for more clients. It stands as testament to the value of Habitat’s program that virtually no Habitat client has ever gone into foreclosure, even during the Great Recession.
Habitat claims that it offers a hand up, not a hand-out. To my mind, that sets Habitat apart from most other charities. I intend to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for as long as I am physically able.