Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity hoping to recruit more volunteers to get back to pre-pandemic levels
By WCCO-TV's Beret Leone
MINNEAPOLIS – For more than 30 decades, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 1,300 families buy affordable homes. Thursday morning, 20-plus volunteers with the organization were busy drilling, hammering and sawing in Minneapolis.
"We live in a great community and the opportunity to work with colleagues to make a difference in building houses is fantastic," volunteer Andrea Walsch said.
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity aims to close on 129 homes this year, but in order to do that, they need more helpers.
"Come out to volunteer. Bring a family out, if you're in a faith community, a business group, reading book club, whatever it is, we always are looking for volunteers," said Chris Coleman, president and CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity.
Before the pandemic, the organization had about 16,000 volunteers in the Twin Cities alone. Last fiscal year, July 2021-June 2022, it had about 7,000 volunteers. Habitat for Humanity officials say by the end of the current fiscal year in June 2023, they're on track to have 12,000.
"We're not back up to that level yet, but we're slowly climbing up that level," Coleman said.
Those volunteers are needed to keep the organization rehabilitating and building homes from the ground up. A mission current volunteers are proud of.
"Habitat has such an important role in the community," Walsch said. "Affordable housing, there's just a huge need."
"It is the game changer for our families," Coleman said. "I just fundamentally believe that housing is the key to success for our families. And if we can put them in stable, safe, affordable housing, we can change their outcomes for generations."
Volunteers from Thursday's included CEOs from all over the Twin Cities, dubbed the 21st annual CEO Build.
Habitat for Humanity also specializes in loan assistance, for more information on its programs click here.
