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!

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.

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!

Americorps

AmeriCorps members are making major and meaningful contributions to Habitat’s work of building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter.
Habitat National Service/AmeriCorps members contributed to serving 33 percent of all U.S. families Habitat assisted with housing solutions in fiscal year 2014.
Since 1994, when AmeriCorps was created, more than 8,000 AmeriCorps members have served with Habitat throughout the United States.  Typically, Habitat places over 500 AmeriCorps members at more than 150 affiliates annually. Recruitment is done both locally and nationally.

AmeriCorps service helps build leaders for Habitat and the cause of affordable housing.

About 70 percent of Habitat AmeriCorps members continue to stay involved with Habitat in some way after their terms of service end. Each year, about a quarter of those finishing terms take staff positions with Habitat for Humanity International or Habitat affiliates across the country.

Developing a passion for Habitat and the cause of affordable housing during their AmeriCorps year, many alumni become active volunteers and advocates for the long term. Others have grown into staff leadership roles, with alumni serving as executive directors, program directors and construction managers at Habitat affiliates.

Habitat AmeriCorps is a public-private partnership that works.
AmeriCorps is an initiative of the federal Corporation for National and Community Service. Grants are awarded annually based on applications from a variety of nonprofit community organizations. Dollars awarded by CNCS are matched 1-to-1 by local private dollars. Members receive a modest living stipend. Habitat’s experience has been that AmeriCorps members are goal-oriented and deeply committed to community service.
While AmeriCorps members typically are in their 20s, it is not an age-based program. Current Habitat AmeriCorps members range in age from 18 to 65, providing diverse skills and experience.