Last year, volunteers Kacy Spooner, Ruble Pataray and Lisa Birkenberger worked on the Zambia house at HFHI's Global Village & Discovery Center, which is filled with samples of Habitat houses from around the world. The GV&DC opens to visitors April 30.

Behind the Scenes:
Habitat's Foundation Firmly Rooted in Volunteerism

At first, they came slowly, a few at a time. It was easy to pick them out--their clothes were simple and often homemade, their speech full of different accents. Their ideas of service seemed radical, too, and the people of Americus, Ga., just weren't sure what to make of this strange collection of Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

Over time, the numbers grew, and the Habitat volunteers began a culture of service and fellowship. United by their differences and a common commitment to the mission, volunteers built houses, mailed newsletters and took quiet pride in the organization's growing reputation for service and excellence. Some say a turning point occurred in 1993 with a 20-house blitz build during which Habitat's 20,000th house was constructed. Volunteers from around the country came to Americus to help build, hammers in hand, and the message was clear: Habitat was here to stay.

Since Habitat's beginning in the mid-'70s, thousands of volunteers have passed through the doors of Habitat's headquarters--many going on to work with Habitat in other parts of the world. More than 300 volunteers serve in Americus each year, and 80 to 120 are working at headquarters at any given time. For some, volunteering in Americus is an annual tradition; one volunteer has returned nearly every year since 1985. Others arrive at headquarters knowing only that Habitat builds houses, and they want to help. Regardless of how much information volunteers have about Habitat when they arrive, they take away even more when they return home.

"You can't leave here as a volunteer and not come to an intimate understanding of poverty housing," says volunteer support manager Michelle Dalva. "You will never be blind to that again."

Volunteer jobs range from processing donations and preparing mailings to repairing and maintaining offices, directing youth programs and planning special events. All that work adds up to a significant financial savings for the organization. Even with the cost of providing food stipends and basic housing for long-term volunteers, HFHI saves more than $2 million each year by utilizing volunteers.

Living in the midst of the volunteer community provides an opportunity to meet people from different countries and discover new hobbies, but there are challenges as well. Community life coordinator Jen O'Rourke notes that the younger generation of volunteers often has never lived without a microwave oven or had to share a bedroom. Also, the generation gap can be difficult to bridge at times as volunteer ages can span 60 years. However, the benefits of living in volunteer housing are enduring.

"Folks who have lived in community as a volunteer walk away saying they have made friendships that last forever," Dalva says. "I love watching folks come in with one expectation of what's going to happen and change their direction. ... Being a volunteer is not something you can shake off."

For more information on volunteering with Habitat, call (800) 422-4828, ext. 2377, e-mail hrstaffing@hfhi.org or visit www.habitat.org.

--Rebekah Daniel came to Habitat World as a volunteer and served for 15 months before joining the salaried staff as assistant editor in June 2001.