Meet Your Crew Leaders!

There are a few new faces (and a familiar one!) on the Habitat construction sites these days. This summer, we said hello to our newest group of AmeriCorps Crew Leaders, who are already hard at work—keeping the momentum going at Sequoia Grove by guiding groups of volunteers.

A Community That Cares 

For some service members, AmeriCorps offers a bridge from one phase of life to another. That's the case for recent high school graduate John of Deerfield, Illinois, who wanted a way to stay busy with meaningful work while he considered his next steps. That's when he took the advice of his uncle, Paul Farrell, whose name you may recognize as our former Site Superintendent! "He let me know how warm and welcoming this community is," John says. "I saw that working with Habitat meant that I wouldn't have to go into this new period of my life alone."

Fellow Crew Leader Gabby from nearby Concord agrees as she looks forward to her year of service: "I'm just so excited about all the new volunteers I'm meeting—and that I get to work with wonderful people as I help at least ten more families build their 'forever home.'"

A Learning Opportunity

One of the biggest reasons that AmeriCorps members choose to serve through Habitat? The chance for a hands-on education in a cause close to their hearts. Ella from Eugene, Oregon, sees her time on site as the perfect complement to her education—a graduate degree in international relations and global development. Through her schooling, Ella knows well the ramifications of the housing crisis on a global scale, but "in school, we always focused on issues elsewhere. But, we don't have to look abroad to find examples of housing insecurity. Working here is a good shift in perspective, and I get the chance to learn about how Habitat is able to combat and create balance in the housing crisis—it's pretty remarkable." In her path toward a future in nonprofit work, Ella sees her time as an AmeriCorps service member as a critical part of the journey.

A fantastic source for on-site education is Brandon from Silver Spring, Maryland, returning as a second-year Crew Leader. Brandon is grateful for the opportunity to serve again, and to be a resource for his fellow AmeriCorps. "I'm loving the feeling of being confident in myself around site," he says. "I've gone through a lot in the last year, so it's like I can basically handle anything—it's such a good feeling!"

Bringing It Home

For one of this year's Crew Leaders, serving hits especially close to home. When Matthew puts in time at Sequoia Grove, he's doing so just eight minutes from where he grew up in Hayward. "Building these houses can improve this community," he says. He has high hopes for the people who will call Sequoia Grove—and the broader Hayward community—home. "The culture of Hayward is great. There are great things to do here, it's a close-knit community. I know so many people here that I grew up with. Hayward is my home. It's always going to be home to me."

Make Sure AmeriCorps is Here to Stay!

You may know by now that AmeriCorps is in trouble. Recent actions have significantly impacted the agency's staffing and funding, and a proposal is moving through Congress to eliminate this critical program—one that Habitat and other organizations serving our communities rely on. However, the Senate's bipartisan  Appropriations Committee has put forth bills to fund AmeriCorps (and reject cuts to key housing programs that Habitat uses), and this is the time to raise our voice in support. Click below for a one-minute form that lets your representatives know these programs are important to you, and make sure you don't miss other ways to speak up by signing up for Advocacy Alerts.