April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and we want to introduce you to some of our incredible volunteers and to share what we’re able to do together. Meet Brad.
Brad volunteers with six different groups regularly. “I retired early and was ready to give back,” he says, after working for 31 years in engineering management. “Habitat gets my Tuesdays.”
He started volunteering with Habitat Omaha in June 2020. Since volunteers weren’t allowed to work on construction due to the COVID pandemic, he initially worked at the West ReStore. Then, he began to be a regular with a construction crew.
“I like the people; the Tuesday and Wednesday crews tend to be the same people, so you get to know each other by name and interact with each other,” he says. “The crew leaders, the smiley faces, Habitat does a great job with volunteers. It’s also gratifying to watch the young crew leaders develop their skills and confidence.”
Brad also likes to volunteer for the exercise. “I could go to the gym for two hours and have nothing to show for it. Or I could pitch in a couple hours and really have something to show for it.” He also likes being part of a solution in his community.
The most gratifying part of volunteering on a construction crew, Brad says, is putting up the trusses, the structural framework for a roof. “I love to set trusses. When you get people clicking, you can set a whole roof in a couple hours. And then you get to step back to see what you did.”
He wants others to know how flexible volunteering with Habitat Omaha can be. “A lot of people don’t realize you can do something indoors. You can help at a ReStore, a construction site, or even at the office,” Brad said. “There are opportunities for everyone! Don’t think there’s only one way to participate.”
Thank you to Brad and all the volunteers who make our work possible. Learn more about volunteering with Habitat Omaha.
