Building Homes, Changing Lives

Tantrums, defiance, lying, sudden change in grades & attitude… these are some of the challenges of parenting, right? Just when everything seems to be going okay and you think about taking a breath – there is another behavior change. For adoptive parents, these issues carry an extra burden as we wonder, “Is this normal?” or “Is this the big meltdown of repressed memories resurfacing?” That’s where I am right now, but I think a big part of the remedy in any case is togetherness and involvement. So you know what I’m thinking about doing with my kids? Building a house!

What? Your kids are perfect and you don’t need any extra bonding time? Sure. I’ll have what you’re drinking.

Oh – you don’t have kids? That’s okay, you still should build a house.

Everybody wants to help. We all want to do our part. We get so caught up in our bubbles, though, that we forget to make time. Or don’t know how. So I’m making it easy for you.

GENESEE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

I’ve heard of it. I know they build houses to help people in need.  But their purpose goes even beyond providing houses for the person – it is working hard to preserve our neighborhoods and communities too.  Currently they are building in the Grand Traverse Neighborhood in an effort not only to house folks, but raise value and make the whole area nicer by getting rid of dangerous abandoned homes and caring for vacant property.

I found the application process interesting.  Did you know that a Habitat for Humanity home recipient puts in 75 hours of sweat equity on OTHER H4H projects before they begin the process of building their own? And another 250 hours of sweat equity are required in building  their own home.  So it keeps volunteerism going for each new project, and provides a sense of accomplishment to H4H recipients as they receive the keys to their new home.

What caught my attention and got me thinking about my kids is a program through Habitat for Humanity called YOUTH UNITED.

Youth United is an exciting initiative through Habitat for Humanity that invites youth, ages 5-25, to work together to fund and build homes in their own communities. Targeting young, enthusiastic volunteers to build homes, Youth United develops leadership skills and engages youth in positive service experiences.

My ten year old tree hugger activist thinks this is my greatest idea yet. My brooding, mouthy 14 year old worries it is going to cut into his video game and sulking time.  I think in the end they will both feel good about the project and themselves, having made an impact on people in their community.

There are many opportunities for you to help Habitat for Humanity nurture our families and communities. No building experience is required, and if you don’t want to build you can volunteer your time at their shop or fundraising events.

For more information or to find your local Habitat for Humanity click here.

To find out more about local adoption and children who need a home in your area click here.