Volunteer
Sign up for Builds!
Fall 2012
We will be volunteering on Saturday mornings and afternoons. If you would like to participate in Habitat for Humanity but are unable to make the scheduled builds, you can contact Council Bluffs Habitat and sign up for a day and time that work better for you. You can do so by going to the Council Bluffs Habitat website.
**Also, if anyone is interested in doing an evening build sometime during the week, please contact Sean Awakuni for more details!
Volunteering - EVERYONE WELCOME!
What CU Habitat all boils down to is working on the home. The best part about volunteering is that you don't have to be an experienced builder. Every week, we have people from all walks of life who've never even held a hammer before come out and help us build walls, hang siding, or paint ceilings. At CU Habitat, learning and service go hand-in-hand and that's a big part of why the experience is so rewarding!
What Happens at a Build?
Every weekend, we have two or three builds at the house site. Each build lasts for 3-4 hours and includes about 15 members and volunteers, a few executives, and a general contractor. Over the course of the build, members and volunteers learn how to perform a construction task (hanging drywall, installing windows, nailing shingles to the roof, etc.) and then get to use this new knowledge to make their own lasting contribution to the house. In the past, CU volunteers have been able to work with volunteers from other cities and countries and even the family members themselves who will eventually be moving into the house once it's completed. Volunteers who come out to several builds a semester learn all sorts of cool skills and many become eligible for some of Creighton University's service acknowledgment awards.
When are Builds?
We build Saturday mornings and afternoons. The exact times are: 9:00am to 12:30pm and 12:30pm to 4:00pm. Please note that we meet in Deglman Circle 15 minutes prior to the start of each build. This means 8:45 am and 12:15pm.
Why do I have to pay membership dues to sign up for builds? We ask that all our active members pay $10.00 before they attend their first build of the year. This is a one time fee due in the fall of each academic year and helps us make a donation each year to our local Habitat affiliate. If you are part of an organization that has reserved a build, each member of your organization is asked to pay $5.00.
What to Bring? How to Dress?
If you have your own set of tools that you are used to working with, we encourage you to bring them out. If you don't, we provide all the tools you'll need to work on the house.
If it is your first time building, you'll need to print out and sign a waiver form to bring with you to the build. To the left, just below the navigation bar, we've posted a link to the waiver. You must also bring $10.00 for your yearly membership dues in an envelope with your name on it to your first build of the year. This money helps Creighton's Chapter donate money to their local Habitat affiliate.
You should dress for the weather, as most builds take place outside. Remember sunscreen in the summer, layers of clothing in the winter, and good tennis shoes or boots at all times of the year. Naturally, this is a messy business- Please do not wear your best and most favorite clothing as we often work with paint, stain, saw dust, mudding etc.
Where is the Build Site? Where do we Meet? Can I Get a Ride?
Volunteers meet in Deglman circle 15 minutes before the build starts and drive out to the site together. If you have your own car, we'd prefer that you drive out with us to the site. If you don't have a ride, most of the executives normally have spare seats in their cars and would more than happy to give you a lift! A map to our main site for Spring 2012 is available to the left next to the build schedule. If there is a change of plans, your build supervisor and/or executive will inform you.
How can I Sign Up?
Be sure to sign up before coming out to a build. As long as a build is marked "open," you can sign up for it. Sometimes builds fill up weeks in advance and at other times it's possible to sign up for a build the night before. If you would like to reserve an entire shift for your student organization or group, give us plenty of notice and we would be more than happy to accommodate you. To your left is a list of upcoming build times and dates that are open to volunteers. Fill out and submit a volunteer form above or contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Sean Awakuni, and he will get you signed up.