Laura didn’t set out to become a regular volunteer at Habitat Omaha.

A few years ago, she signed up for a Rock the Block event near her home in Bellevue. She painted, pulled weeds, and helped clean up a yard.

“The homeowners were so appreciative,” she recalls. “And you could actually see the difference.”

That day could have been a one-time volunteer event for Laura. But then she saw Habitat Omaha needed someone to help cover the front desk for an hour at lunchtime.

Today, Laura volunteers multiple days a week, logging construction hours, transcribing meetings, and helping keep things running behind the scenes.

She still joins Rock the Block events, including raking leaves in North Omaha recently.

“It’s pretty physical,” she said. “A lot of the folks we help, they just can’t do it.”

Habitat Omaha volunteers participating in Rock the Block.

At 73, Laura worked for three hours before calling it a day. But not before a neighbor came outside and asked what the volunteers were doing. They ended up raking her yard, too.

That’s how it goes, Laura says. One house leads to another. One small act is always bigger than we think at first glance.

Back in the office, she sees the other side of that when families close on their homes.

“You hear their stories,” she said. “It is so touching.”

Many of them didn’t think homeownership was possible and Laura knows that feeling, too.

“I think if people can get over that first hurdle,” she said, “they’re well on their way.”

Thank you to Laura and all the volunteers who make our work possible. If you’d like to volunteer, we’d love to have you! Learn more about volunteering with Habitat Omaha, or you can sign up for our next Rock the Block on May 2 in Blair.