2023 volunteer recap

YOU made a difference in 2023!

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!

Honoring Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter

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.

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All-Electric Homes: Homeowner Survey Report

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:

  1. Equipment usage and maintenance, including basic knowledge of their systems and overall satisfaction
  2. Energy costs, including the presence of solar or enrollment in subsidized utility programs
  3. 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.

Homeowner-survey-report-finalDownload

PVHH Board Member application open for Fall 2023!

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity will have one new board member opening in September 2023 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+.

Job description: https://www.pvhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/PVHH-Board-Member-Job-Description-2023.pdf

Application form: https://forms.gle/DSys7oto5LfLN56F6

Learn more about other Habitat volunteer opportunities.

All-Electric Homes: Initial Affiliate Survey

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 provides a look at current practices as we convene affiliates to share best practices for building simple, durable, energy efficient homes.

Of the 16 Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Massachusetts, 14 were able to fully complete this survey, and all were able to partially complete this survey. This project was made possible through funding from a MassCEC EmPower grant.

Affiliate-survey-report-May-2023Download

FEAST 2023

Thanks to all who attended and supported the annual FEAST for Habitat, a fun after-work party in a transformed construction warehouse!

New in 2023: Providers of food and drink at this year’s FEAST for Habitat entered a friendly competition. Attendees cast their votes that evening for the FEAST for Habitat 2023 Food and Beverage Fan Favorites awards; while there were many delicious entries, these stood out to FEAST-goers as the best:

Best in Show (entrée or savory dish): The Waxwing, for their Thai chicken boulettes and sesame tofu
Confectionery Excellence (dessert): Johnny’s Roadside, for their s’mores milkshakes
Best Beverage (beverage): Glendale Ridge Vineyard‘s wine

Also new in 2023: the silent auction went virtual, and anyone could bid from home! Attendees could peruse items in-person at the event, but those unable to attend could still support the event from afar.

For the $50 ticket price, partygoers joined old and new friends, colleagues, and neighbors to raise money to build homes alongside families who are ready to put meals on the tables of their own very first homes. Thank you to the sponsors and attendees for joining Habitat in celebrating the good work being done by so many at Habitat, including our volunteers, building and housing community, and building supply donors. This years FEAST went amazingly and we raised over $25,000 for Habitat!

Thanks to our 2023 FEAST Sponsors!

Nissan donates Nissan Frontier to support local construction efforts

Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity is excited to announce it received a 2023 Frontier from Nissan. The donation is part of Nissan’s $800K national partnership renewal with Habitat for Humanity to support local Habitat affiliates across the U.S.

Nissan is donating five vehicles to local Habitat affiliates this year to use for use on Habitat for Humanity construction sites. Additionally, Nissan employees will volunteer in 12 communities near Nissan’s manufacturing and operational locations.

“Nissan is deeply committed to the areas where our customers, employees, and dealers live and work, and our partnership with Habitat for Humanity is one way that we invest in these communities,” said Travis Parman, vice president, Corporate Communications, Nissan North America, Inc. “Our employees, working alongside our partners at Habitat and the future homeowners, are able to directly improve their local communities and help families build a safe and decent place to call home.”

Nissan has contributed more than $20 million to Habitat nationally since the partnership began in 2005 when Nissan donated 50 trucks and mobilized employees to assist in home building following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region. Nissan has continued its support through the years by donating an additional 160 vehicles to support construction activities and disaster recovery efforts. Furthermore, Nissan’s employees have contributed more than 112,400 volunteer hours working alongside future homeowners in communities across the U.S.

“It was just 2 years ago we were driving around an old donated 1997 truck to and from the job site, before the trusty Habitruck finally died. We are thrilled at this investment in our operations from Nissan so that we can reliably transport tools, materials and trash on our construction sites without worry,” said Megan McDonough, Executive Director of Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity. “Building homes takes more than just nails and 2 x 4s, it takes time, energy and love from our community. Thanks Nissan!”

PVHH Ends Covid-19 Vaccination Tracking

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to present a health risk, although vaccination and appropriate distance precautions can mitigate this danger. On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its intent to end the national emergency and public health declarations that have been in place since early 2020 on May 11, 2023.

All staff and volunteers are strongly encouraged to stay up to date on their Covid-19 vaccinations. As of May 1, 2023 Pioneer Valley Habitat will no longer be tracking the vaccination status of staff and volunteers.

PVHH may schedule opt-in “vaccinated only” work days on the construction sites at the request of volunteers. No more than 1 or 2 work days per job site will be designated as “vaccinated only” per week. This is to accommodate volunteers who prefer to work with other vaccinated volunteers only. This will be administered as an “honor system”, with participating volunteers representing that they are up-to-date on Covid vaccinations, as defined by the CDC from time-to-time.

To learn more, please read our updated Covid-19 worksite policy.

2022 volunteer recap

2022 volunteer recap We had 211 construction volunteers, 99 committee volunteers, and 22 who did both. We had 167 orientation attendees, 139 new construction volunteers, and 19 team build days. Volunteers came from across Massachusetts. 69% from Hampshire county, 21% from Franklin county, and 10% from elsewhere. There were 75 build days in Pelham, 65 in Conway, and 121 in Northampton. A graph shows that most hours occurred between May and October, and the least occurred in March. Committees met for 700+ hours in 2022.

YOU made a difference in 2022!

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! Two families moved into their new homes in Pelham, three more families are building their homes on Burts Pit Road in Northampton, and a sixth family is busy working on their future Conway home. Our FEAST for Habitat returned to rkMiles in May, we honored volunteers with 100+ hours last fiscal year at our annual meeting in September, and our tenth annual Gingerbread Build wrapped up the year in festive cheer with our third 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!

2022 Gingerbread Build

SEE ALL 2022 ENTRIES & WINNERS
WATCH THE 2022 AWARD CEREMONY

Tenth Annual Gingerbread Build!

Week-long Build-at-Home event with a public award ceremony

Teams were provided with a gingerbread kit containing the six basic house-building pieces and a bag of icing. Any teams wishing to enter into the contest in one of the categories listed below used the six pieces of gingerbread provided, and beyond that let their imaginations and decorative additions run wild. Celebrity judges reviewed and make their decisions on the winners, awarded in a public zoom ceremony at 3pm on Saturday December 10th– watch the recording here! All winning teams received 4 buttons to Northampton’s First Night Celebration, and teams that raise the most money and have the greatest number of donors each received a $50 Northampton gift card in addition to their buttons.

2022 10th Anniversary Award Winners: