Volunteer in the New Year

The New Year is here and it's time to start making (and acting on!) that list of goals and resolutions. If you have a desire to try something new, turn over a new leaf, or want to make an impact in your community, add volunteering to your list! Through volunteering, you can learn a new skill, meet new people, and be more active in the community while helping others turn over a new leaf themselves. Our volunteers enable families with low income to build a better year and a better future through home ownership.

Here are some ways you can get involved with Syracuse Habitat this year:

1) Join a Committee: This is a great option that fills a much needed volunteer position. Joining a committee will keep you on track with your volunteer goal, since committees meet on a monthly basis. We are currently forming the following committees: construction, family support, family selection, and fundraising. Please contact us directly (see below) if you are interested!

2) Volunteer in our ReStore: Our ReStore provides critical funds to our organization, through selling donated building and household materials. This is a great volunteer option for someone with a busy schedule - the ReStore is open 6 days a week, you can stay as long or as little as you want, and we can always take volunteers! We encourage you to use our volunteer portal on our website to sign up for shifts, but you are welcome to just stop in when you are available.

3) Build on Site: Building houses is the core of what we do. This is a great option if you have a group you want to volunteer with. If you are not part of a group, we post individual build days on our online volunteer portal. We do not regularly have build days open on our volunteer portal, but if you are registered, we will send you a notice when there is one.

4) Help with a Shop Clean-Up Day over MLK Weekend: On Saturday, January 13th, for the Martin Luther King Day of Service, we are looking for volunteers to help with a shop clean up. You can sign up for a spot on our online portal. MLK Day is recognized as a "day on, not a day off", so this would be a great start to the New Year!

5) Volunteer in our Office: This is a great option for someone who is able to commit to a regular volunteer schedule. Generally, our office volunteers come in once a week or once a month and assist with data entry, research, filing, and answering phone calls.

6) Intern: Are you a college student? Consider interning with us! We can use a construction intern, a store management intern, or if you are looking to intern in an office setting, we can work with you to develop an internship that aligns with your course of study. For example, an office intern can complete research projects, assist with outreach, plan special projects, etc. College interns are unpaid, so hours worked can fulfill volunteer requirements.

If you are considering volunteering in 2018, we would love to have you on board. Volunteering is a great way to make a positive impact in your personal life, and in the lives of others. What says "New Year's Resolution" better than that?

Send us an email at outreach@syracusehabitat.org for more information and to get started as a volunteer this year!