Our Habitat: Building with Others

Happy summer!

Kids are out of school. Vacations are being taken. Memories are being made.

Summer also is a good time for Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne. Sure, it gets hot on the construction sites, but with school out and people’s schedules perhaps feeling a bit more flexible, we are able to do a lot of building.

Of course summer doesn’t always mean good weather. With hot summer days always comes a chance of storms and rain. And speaking of storms and rain, a recent experience on a job site has been on my mind lately.

I’ve spent a fair amount of time in this space talking about the need for us to remember that our habitat extends beyond ourselves, and that we need to try to do our part to improve not just our space, but also the whole community.

But as I reflect back on this recent Saturday morning, I can picture these dozen or so volunteers, all of whom showed up despite rain being in the forecast, and all of whom worked steadily to put the trusses up for our Mount Olive house roof, even as the rain came down harder and harder.

That experience reminds me that there are people in our community who are willing and able to provide shelter in the storm. And part of being a member of a strong community is to allow everyone to play their roles. So when we’re faced with a storm, we should remember that our habitat is our community and that it’s OK to let others help us because ultimately, that makes our community and our habitat stronger.

Photo caption:

Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne staff, homeowners-in-progress and volunteers from Genesis United Methodist Church in Cary and the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base Oasis Center pose for a photo after spending a wet morning in May putting trusses up for the roof of the Mount Olive house at 202 W. Pollock St