Our volunteers are the backbone of Atlanta Habitat. They always arrive enthusiastically, ready to take on their task, whether it is in the ReStore, serving on committees, or out on a build site. By simply being out on a Saturday morning, our volunteers are going above and beyond to help a family achieve homeownership.
When a volunteer then goes the extra mile and adds more to the build than what is asked of them, everyone is grateful.
Deb started volunteering in 2017 when a friend’s company was sponsoring a build and was looking for some additional volunteers.
“The first build I did was such a great friend experience, everybody working together, and we really were part of seeing that finished product, you know,” Deb recalled. “Whatever you’re working on that day is done. So, you get to stand back and see the immediate finishing of that house and you get to meet the homeowners. It’s just incredible. You’re working alongside them, building a home and helping build community.”
It was crystal clear from the start; Deb had caught the building bug. Fast forward, 44 volunteer shifts and a global pandemic later, Deb had found a way to incorporate another part of her life into the Atlanta Habitat volunteer experience.
Prior to the 2020 lockdown, Deb worked in an office full-time and would bring baked goods for the teams as a thank you for empowering her to do her job better.
“I can’t service my customers alone. It takes multiple different departments and teams and so as a way to say thank you, I would bake for them,” Deb said.
For the most part, Deb stuck with simple treats like cookies but when the lockdown happened, she got into more complex baking.
As it was just her and her husband, she needed somewhere to offload all of her sweet treats. After receiving an “excellent response” for bringing some angel food cupcakes to a Clark Howard sponsored build, she just kept going.
Now, the hallmark of knowing you will have the delight of interacting with Deb are the fresh baked goods near the sign-in sheet.
“On the last day of the build, as you may know, it’s all about landscaping and getting that house with the final touches for the dedication. I thought it would be really neat to bake cookies and I put them in a flowerpot. And then I wrap them individually with a logo of habitat and the sponsor on the sticker to kind of give it a personalization.”
Deb has now racked up 295 official volunteering hours and countless others baking a special treat each time she volunteers.
“I love to bake and volunteer and give back,” Deb explained. “I feel that we are all part of the greater community and the best thing we can do is to be kind to each other and help out. Whether some people are financially able to contribute, some people can contribute their time and effort or a combination.
“Honestly, I get so much out of it, it makes my heart so happy to help and be around people. And honestly, I feel like I’ve built my own personal community with the people that I’ve met at Habitat, whether it’s the homeowners, friends that I volunteer with or just volunteers that have become friends over the years.”
