Atlanta Habitat’s 2021 Volunteer Decision

Dear Friend of Atlanta Habitat,

As we move through this new year, Atlanta Habitat continues to navigate through this pandemic safely and deliver on our mission. There is much hope with a vaccine now available, and Atlanta Habitat continues to take the necessary precautions to protect our employees, customers, donors, homeowners, sponsors and volunteers.

Like you, we are staying educated and informed with facts from the Centers for Disease Control, Georgia Department of Public Health and others. They confirm that the coronavirus pandemic is ravaging our county, state and the rest of the world. The virus is taking the lives of approximately 86 people a day in Georgia alone.

Witnessing this unrelenting pandemic forces us to keep our safe operating practices that we started last May in effect for 2021. Unless there is a significant change in this pandemic’s status due to vaccines and public health guidelines, Atlanta Habitat has made the tough decision to operate without volunteers in 2021.

Our volunteers are essential to our work. Despite the challenges of 2020, some 2,149 volunteers contributed 21,638 hours, ​saving Atlanta Habitat $550,258 in annual labor costs. This is a deep decline from previous years where we had on average 12,000 volunteers saving us over $1 million in labor costs each year.

However, this decision is a continuance of our phased reopening, from which we have operated for nearly nine months. Our Construction, Warehouse teams and contractors are building homes and following public health guidelines. The Atlanta Habitat ReStore remains open with a limit on customers inside the store, shortened operating hours and online shopping. Most of our employees continue to work remotely to serve our homeowner families with virtual programs and other services.  Our approach allows everyone to do the work of building affordable homes and improving neighborhoods that are essential to our mission, with room to social distance and remain safe.

We look forward to the vaccine becoming more widely available for everyone, thus helping us move from this pandemic to engaging together.

For now, we invite you to volunteer virtually, stay in touch with us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) and at atlantahabitat.org. We also welcome your support in helping our homeowners who are struggling during this pandemic by sending a gift to the Home Matters mortgage-relief program.

Atlanta Habitat remains deeply grateful for your support, and we hope to gather again with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Lisa Y. Gordon, CPA
President and CEO