We’re excited to announce that we’re moving our volunteer scheduling from VolunteerUp to Better Impact! We hope this new software will improve the volunteer experience, and includes:
Multiple ways to sign up and filter available shifts, including bulk options
A personalized schedule of your shifts that you can view online, print, or sync to a calendar app
Virtual training modules
Simple ways to view your completed volunteer hours, and set goals for the future
Easy access to update your profile information, volunteer interests, and more
We know that you’re busy, so we’ve created a detailed guide to help you get started with Better Impact, where you’ll learn how to create an account, complete an orientation and safety training, and sign up for your first volunteer shift. You can also access the Better Impact helpdesk for detailed information not covered in the guide.
PLEASE NOTE: all new accounts in Better Impact need to be manually approved by a staff person after they have completed a new volunteer orientation and construction safety training before construction shifts are visible. This approval process may take a few days.
We appreciate your feedback as we launch this new platform – feel free to reach out by email with questions or comments.
A majority of the work it takes to build a Habitat home is done by volunteers, both on-site and off-site, and we cannot thank you enough for standing with us and with families ready to own their first home. We hope to see you soon!
“We get to see despair transform into hope over and over. We get to see changes in the lives of people who have moved into new homes and who now have new hope.” – Former President Jimmy Carter
Dear Friends,
We live in a beautiful place, where small to medium sized towns and cities nestle among rolling hills and alongside rivers and streams. Across the Valley, many hardworking families dream of owning a safe, affordable home — but for those living in our rural towns, that dream can feel impossibly out of reach.
That’s where Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity steps in. With partners like YOU.
Across the country in late October, in conjunction with the annual Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, dozens of Habitat affiliates participated in the 2025 Rural Rally, hosting conversations and special events and builds with local housing advocates to shine a light on the issues particular to rural housing. Although Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are no longer with us, their legacy remains a driving force in Habitat’s work. Just as the Carters brought people together to build houses, strong families and thriving neighborhoods, Pioneer Valley Habitat convened local housing advocates in October to talk nuts and bolts about how to amplify that legacy here in our beautiful rural region. And the group worked with actual nuts and bolts to build a picnic table for a future homeowner!
Your contribution supports Habitat’s community-build model of partnering with local families in need of an affordable living situation to build homes in towns like Pelham, Shutesbury, Conway and beyond — ensuring that everyone, no matter where they live, can have a decent place to call home. And now, more than ever, the need is great and your support will make a difference.
Please, make your donation today. Together we strengthen families and neighborhoods and continue to maintain the vibrant character of our rural communities. A resilient world begins with a home.
“Building my house is the biggest art project of my life! We’ll have gardens and a patio out back where we can have dinners outside. We’ll go to the rivers and bike around town. We’re going to have an anchor somewhere.” -Hannah, building her home in Greenfield now
Although Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are no longer with us, their legacy remains a driving force in Habitat’s work. In order to elevate awareness around the need for more affordable housing in rural America, Habitat International is spearheading its first-ever Rural Rally as part of the annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, with home builds and rehabs in more than 60 rural communities during the last week of October alongside the project’s signature large-scale build in Austin, Texas.
Western Mass housing advocates build a table, gather to talk about rural housing
Pioneer Valley Habitat will convene a gathering at our Greenfield construction site to shine a light on the housing and homeownership needs in our rural communities. After building a picnic table for the future owner of the Habitat home, a group of housing leaders and advocates will have a round table discussion about rural housing initiatives. Megan Rhodes, Livability Program Manager for the Franklin County Regional Council of Governments will provide an introduction to rural housing issues in Franklin County. The discussion will be livestreamed and recorded, available for viewing on Youtube and below.
Where: Greenfield construction site; all are welcome to join the livestream!
Tell Congress the importance of investing in rural housing!
Across rural America, families face significant barriers to accessing affordable homes – resulting from an unprecedented shortage of affordable homes, existing homes in need of substantial repairs, rising construction costs and limited access to mortgage capital.
Call on your members of Congress to prioritize rural housing solutions – connect using this form!
Proudly sponsored by:
“Investment in new and existing housing is a critical need in rural towns, where a mismatch exists between current housing stock and current needs. A lack of housing production, old housing stock, changing demographics (smaller households and an aging population), and competition with short-term rentals and second homes in some areas, has led to a shortage of decent, affordable housing that meets the needs of residents.” – Franklin Regional Council of Governments Housing Study 2024
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will have three new board member position openings in September 2025 and we are looking for interested community members to join! If you are interested please review the Board Member job description and fill out this short application. We encourage applications from people with lived experience with housing insecurity and individuals who identify as women, people of color, or LGBTQ+.
Join us for Bring a Friend to Volunteer Month, a special month celebrating community spirit and teamwork! Throughout the month of October, we’re inviting you to bring a friend, family member, colleague, etc. to experience the joy of giving back. Whether you’re helping to build homes, providing snacks and other hospitality for volunteers, or supporting local families through committee work, your participation makes a real difference. Enjoy a rewarding experience while meeting new people and strengthening our community!
Register today and sign up to build on VolunteerUp.
Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will have one new board member opening in September 2024 and are looking for interested community members to join! If you are interested please review the Board Member job description and fill out this short application. We encourage applications from people with lived experience with housing insecurity and individuals who identify as women, people of color, or LGBTQ+.
It’s hard to believe, but our affiliate has been building homes in Hampshire and Franklin counties since 1989! Three homes are nearing completion in Northampton this summer, one more broke ground in Greenfield last week, and another in Northampton is coming soon this summer!
This year, being our 35th anniversary year, we want to talk about Legacies. Legacies take many shapes and come from many origins. The work we are doing here today at Pioneer Valley Habitat was born 35 years ago with a rugged group of dedicated volunteers (check out some of their stories linked below). That legacy continues today with hundreds of volunteers still giving their time annually to provide decent, low cost housing for people unable to afford to buy a home in today’s market.
You can help continue that legacy. In honor of our 35th anniversary as an organization, we invite you to join Pioneer Valley Habitat’s Framing the Future Legacy Society by including us in your estate planning. Designating an estate gift today toward Habitat’s future can make an impact you could never imagine tomorrow. Bequests that come to our local Habitat are nothing less than game-changing, allowing us to create more opportunities for families to build and buy their first homes. We are honored to have been the recipient of generous legacy gifts in the past ten years. These gifts have been pivotal for this small organization, allowing us to make leaps forward that would otherwise take years. And while on the surface we build homes, what we are really building together is the future of our community and the families who live here, one family at a time.
To further honor of our 35th anniversary as an organization, we wanted to get back to the roots of Habitat for Humanity in Hampshire & Franklin counties, and celebrate those whose work made the last 35 years possible. While there are countless more volunteers, donors, and community supporters than those showcased here, these five were each part of pivotal moments in PVHH’s history, from establishing the first Board of Directors to hiring the first employee.
Deborah’s StoryDoris’s StoryMJ’s StorySheila’s Story
A majority of the work it takes to build a Habitat home is done by volunteers, both on-site and off-site. Every hour you spent volunteering with Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity made an impact — whether on the build site, on a committee, in the office, or out in the community, your efforts help make affordable homeownership a reality for more families in Hampshire and Franklin counties.
You supported us during one of our busiest years ever! Three families moved into their new homes on Burts Pit Road in Northampton, a fourth moved into their new home in Conway, and three more families are busy working on their future Northampton homes. Our FEAST for Habitat returned to rkMiles in May and debuted a food and drink contest, we honored volunteers with 100+ hours last fiscal year at our annual meeting in September, and our eleventh annual Gingerbread Build wrapped up the year in festive cheer with our fourth at-home build.
This work would not be possible without your contributions of talent, time, and financial resources, and we cannot thank you enough for standing with us and with families ready to own their first home.
Is volunteering part of your New Year’s resolutions?
We’re looking for new committee members! Committees meet virtually and are responsible for all areas of behind-the-scenes planning. From family support and DEI to site safety and more, there’s a wide range of committees and leadership positions to choose from!
Want to swing a hammer? Construction teams are on site in Northampton and Conway on most weekdays, with full-day and half-day shifts available. Our Women Build days are the third Sunday of every month in Northampton. You can also schedule team builds with your office, school, or place of worship for a unique group experience!
If you have questions or want to apply for a committee or special leadership position please contact Megan at 413-586-5430 x106 or volunteer@pvhabitat.org. We look forward to working with you!
The Pioneer Valley Habitat community is deeply saddened by the passing of former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter, who was a champion and strong voice for affordable, decent housing for all. For more than three decades, she and President Jimmy Carter donated their time and leadership to Habitat each year to build and improve homes around the world. On November 17, 2023, Mrs. Carter entered hospice care. She died two days later at her home in Plains, Georgia, of natural causes, at the age of 96.
To honor Mrs. Carter’s decades long unwavering commitment to seeing thousands of families with low incomes step over the threshold and through the doors of their very first homes, Pioneer Valley Habitat has erected a temporary doorway in her memory near the walkway in front of the Unitarian Society of Northampton (220 Main St). The public is invited to pay their respects – visitors are encouraged to share messages of solidarity with Mrs. Carter’s dream of everyone having a decent place to call home through the writing of messages on the doorframe.
“We grieve the loss of Mrs. Carter and our prayers are with President Carter and their family. Mrs. Carter has helped change the lives of thousands of homeowners, empowered countless women and inspired millions of people. Over the years, she has blessed us with her compassion for serving others and commitment to improving housing conditions,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International. “The Carters lent a hand to Habitat for Humanity as a young, fledging organization and created global awareness of our work and of our mission. We are grateful for the incredible impact she and President Carter have had on Habitat and on the families who have benefited from their shining example.”
After leaving the White House, the Carters planned for meaningful ways to continue their commitment to social justice and basic human rights. Their first volunteer experience with Habitat for Humanity was in March 1984 near their home in Americus, Georgia, where Habitat for Humanity was founded. Later that same year, the Carters joined Habitat volunteers in New York City’s Lower East Side to renovate an abandoned building in partnership with families in need of affordable housing. That marked Habitat for Humanity’s first Jimmy Carter Work Project, which was later renamed to the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. Since then, President and Mrs. Carter have worked with more than 104,000 volunteers across the U.S. and in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,390 Habitat homes. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has served more than 46 million people around the world.
In 2016, Habitat named President and Mrs. Carter as the inaugural Habitat Humanitarians for their extraordinary dedication to service in alignment with Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Habitat for Humanity will be celebrating Mrs. Carter’s life of service with local observances. To learn more or to share a tribute, visit www.habitat.org.
For photos and videos of President and Mrs. Carter volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, visit habitat.ngo/CarterPhotoVideo.
You need to add a widget, row, or prebuilt layout before you’ll see anything here. 🙂
The goal of this project is to realize the potential of all-electric homes for low-income first-time homebuyers who are working with Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the state of Massachusetts. Habitat for Humanity affiliates build dozens of new homes each year and building practices vary from affiliate to affiliate. This survey asks questions of current Habitat homeowners in all-electric homes on the following topics:
Equipment usage and maintenance, including basic knowledge of their systems and overall satisfaction
Energy costs, including the presence of solar or enrollment in subsidized utility programs
Education provided by Habitat during the construction and early stages of life in their all-electric home
Twenty-nine current Habitat homeowners completed this survey, representing at least 12 different towns in Massachusetts (not all homeowners provided address information). This project was made possible through funding from a MassCEC EmPower grant.
