News

Habitat for Humanity needs more volunteers to help build homes

By: Alison Patton
Posted on: Thursday, October 3, 2024

GLOUSTER, Ohio (WOUB) — Jessica Brown has been living at her mother’s house with her three kids for about two years. Their new house is almost finished.

“Hopefully, if things go smoothly, it’ll be four more weeks,” Brown said. “We’ve got some projects with flooring going on and more painting.”

A Habitat for Humanity sign is staked into the ground in front of a house. The sign says "future home of the Brown family." Behind the sign is a gray house with a wood porch. — The Brown Family home is expected to be done in October. Until then, Habitat for Humanity volunteers are working to put in flooring, appliances, paint and more. [Alison Patton | WOUB]

The house is being built by Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio, which provides affordable housing for people below a certain income level.

Dawn Worely-Sims, Habitat’s community engagement director, said houses should take about five months to build, but the Browns’ will take six.

That’s because there aren’t enough volunteers to help out, and there’s a lot of need throughout Habitat’s coverage area.

“There are so many folks that qualify and that need homes,” Worely-Sims said. “In some counties we can’t take applications right now because a two-year wait list is pretty long.”

Worely-Sims said people think her organization is set on volunteers, but that’s not the case.

“Nine times out of 10, they would be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that you guys need volunteers.’ And it’s a constant need,” she said.

There are many ways to get involved, Worely-Sims said. Whether that’s picking up a paint brush, learning to use a drill or taking pictures at a site, even if it’s just one day a week.

Shifts are Wednesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and shorter shifts are available.

Volunteer Megan Riddlebarger was priming the walls inside of Brown’s house. She said she wants the family to feel supported by the community.

“I hope that when the homeowner and her family are in here, they feel how many people contributed their care and attention to make this a home,” Riddlebarger said.

A Habitat for Humanity volunteer brushes primer onto the walls of an unfinished house in Glouster. Once the home is completely finished, it will be ready for the new homeowner to move in. — A Habitat for Humanity volunteer brushes primer onto the walls of the Brown’s new but unfinished home. The house is expected to be done in October.

Riddlebarger is also executive director for the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development and got paid to volunteer with her coworkers.

“We created a policy to do a day of service,” Riddlebarger said. “So, all of our staff have the opportunity to go out and work for an organization that they care about.”

Brown said she’s being patient with the progress of her new home.

“There’s only so much work we can do in a day, so there’s only so many people we can bring in,” Brown said.

Her kids are really excited to move in.

“The kids are able to put their own style into the house and make it feel more home,” Brown said. “It’s the first time they’ve actually had an actual home home instead of living in grandma’s home or living in a trailer.”

The Browns’ home is expected to be done in October.