From April 24th to 30th, join Habitat Greater Ottawa as we celebrate our wonderful volunteers! This week and beyond, we recognize their fantastic work in helping local families access safe, secure and affordable housing.
This past year, we were excited to welcome many new and returning volunteers to help support Habitat families. From the ReStore to the build site to our committees, Habitat Greater Ottawa’s volunteers showed up as dedicated and passionate as ever.
DID YOU KNOW: In 2021, Habitat volunteers contributed more than 7000 hours at our ReStore, build site, committees and community events, which is a total of more than 3 full-time employees!
Habitat volunteers embody this year’s theme, Empathy in Action, making lasting connections that impact Habitat families and the community. This week, we invite you to get to know several of our Habitat Greater Ottawa volunteers and learn what Empathy in Action means to them:
I highly recommend the volunteer experience to anyone regardless of their skill level in construction. Thank you to Habitat for the opportunity to contribute in such a meaningful way to such a great cause. And in my opinion, carrying through on something that contributes to the greater need is an example of Empathy in Action – whether it be physical; like volunteering on the build site or financial support like making a donation.
Read more about Ernie.
We all come from different walks of life. Empathy in Action means bringing your unique energy and skills to support an organization such as Habitat Greater Ottawa, which has such a positive impact on our community.
Read more about Wendy.
I believe it doesn’t matter where you’re volunteering, it’s still just as important to learn about the struggles and backgrounds of the people around you. That's the great thing about Habitat, everyone comes from different walks of life. You get to put yourself in the families’ shoes, and really understand their situations.
Read more about Susan.
On the subject of getting involved, I definitely feel as though I used my skills to help support Habitat Greater Ottawa. And, to me, when you use your own personal skills to help out anyone who needs it, that counts as an example of Empathy in Action.
Read more about Josh.
Habitat Greater Ottawa’s ReStore creates a very helpful and inclusive environment. When I see a co-worker struggling, I have the immediate feeling of wanting to go help them. Putting yourself in their shoes, knowing that if you were struggling, you'd appreciate the help from your peers; that's what Empathy in Action is all about.
Read more about Bella.
Empathy in Action in my eyes is what Habitat Greater Ottawa is all about! The act of the ReStore repurposing goods and then selling them means that Habitat can build more homes. It is the understanding that all of these small actions contribute to the big picture of building homes for families.
Read more about Harry.
To me, Empathy in Action means that although we can't physically feel other people's pain, difficulty or hardship, knowing that others are going through such experiences is enough for us to act. However small our actions may be, they can and will have an impact on others, sometimes more than we realize. Each one of us taking small steps to help things become a little easier, collectively we will make a big difference.
Read more about Ming.
