And Now For Something Completely Different: Habitat for Humanity Build, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Part 1

For the next couple weeks I stayed in Las Cruces, New Mexico volunteering with the Mesilla Valley Habitat for Humanity. I had signed up through the RV Care-A-Vanner program in which the Habitat for Humanity affiliate provides free or reduced cost parking and hookups for RVers during their two weeks of volunteering. This was a perfect solution for me as it allowed me a free place to park at night while enabling me to volunteer for more than a few days in one area.

There is no other way to describe this volunteer experience other than awesome; I guarantee I got much more out of the experience than I actually contributed. It was so rewarding to have had the opportunity to work on the four houses being constructed and to have been able to meet and work next to some of the families who were going to live in them. The work itself was great and the other volunteers I worked with made it a lot of fun as well. And as if that weren’t enough, I felt truly spoiled by the Habitat for Humanity people who did everything from teach me again (and again, and again) how to effectively swing my hammer to offer to get me soup when I was sick. I feel especially indebted to Dyana, my Team Leader, and Pete, the construction supervisor, for providing me with so much instruction, help, and support on the job site each day; I learned more in my two weeks than I could have possible imagined.