Habitat for Humanity - Give to the Community and Learn

A couple of disjointed thoughts that leads me to this post:

1. I just finished reading an article about homeless dumping and it got me thinking about a couple of things. Chiefly, giving here at home.

2. My mom, who gives much to her church sponsored charities, was asked to give to a specific charity at work. She told them that she had already given to that same charity at her church. She was told that her contribution was mandatory because her employer wants to be recognized as a charitable organization in the community!

Giving back to the community isn't about recognition, but that doesn't mean that we can't benefit from it. For the DIY'er I recommend giving to your local Habitat for Humanity for several reasons and in several ways:

Donate Supplies

When you replace a light fixture, cabinets, windows or what-have-you, if the ones being replaced are still usable and in good condition consider donating them to the local habitat projects. Usually, it only requires a phone call and they'll come pick it up. It's win-win. You don't have to cart it to the dump, it's not occupying space in a land-fill, and it's going to continue to serve its purpose for someone who will be grateful to have it.

Donate a Weekend

This is where you get something back other than the good feeling from knowing you've done something worthwhile. When you give your time you'll probably meet some very knowledgeable people that you can learn from. You also might find yourself using tools you previously never used because you didn't know how. You can apply what you learn to your own sweat-equity projects around the house, and you might even make some friends that you can call on in a pinch.

It's also important to note that anyone can give their time. If you want to give but are afraid of heights, they're not going to have you laying shingles. If you don't know the difference between a screwdriver and a socketdriver, they'll either show you how to do it or put you to work doing something you're comfortable with.

The Habitat link above is for the habitat.org website. Many community chapters have their own websites as well.