Team Up With Habitat
Habitat Goldsboro-Wayne launches special volunteer series in Lenoir County
Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne is launching a special new volunteer series this week in Lenoir County called Team Up With Habitat. This volunteer series offers not only the opportunity to engage with Habitat to help build a new homes, but also for volunteers to engage with each other to build relationships and to begin building a stronger community.
“Our mission is to share God’s love by building homes, community and hope through affordable homeownership,” said Executive Director Matthew Whittle. “Typically we focus on home part and community and hope are built through those efforts. With Team Up With Habitat, we are seeking to be more intention about building community and hope while at the same time, building a new home.”
This series of special volunteer opportunities will be held at Habitat’s newest construction site at 218 E. Railroad St., LaGrange, each Thursday from 9AM to 1PM from May 1 to June 19, as well as on Saturdays, May 3 and June 7. Other dates can also be arranged as necessary.
The goal, Whittle explained, is for volunteers to sign up in groups of two to six, preferably with people they don’t know, or at least who they don’t know well. During these experiences then, the volunteers will spend the first part of the day working on the house before breaking for lunch engaging in a semi-facilitated conversation designed to help break down barriers and encourage people to get to know each other a little bit while also sharing their hopes for Lenoir County.
“When we began the process of expanding our service area to include Lenoir County people told us about the challenges and divisions that existed, and so when we received this grant designed to encourage community and bridge building, we thought it would be a good opportunity to engage with Lenoir County beyond the normal Habitat build process. We’re hoping that folks will agree and want to go beyond the build with us,” Whittle said.
For those who are interested in learning more, a kickoff reception will be held at the Neuse Regional Library at 510 N. Queen St., from 6-8PM on Wednesday, April 16. Refreshments will be available and tips on how to engage in open and honest conversation will be provided.
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Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne was founded in 2001 and today serves both Wayne and Lenoir counties. Its vision is a community in which everyone has a decent place to live, and its mission to share God’s love by building homes, community & hope through affordable homeownership. However, Habitat does not give its homes away. Habitat homeowners, who must be between 50% and 80% of median family income and have a housing need when they apply, pay an affordable monthly mortgage and help build their homes as they complete a minimum of 250 hours of partnership, including financial literacy and other homeownership courses. To date, Habitat has built 104 new homes and completed 63 home repairs. Learn more at habitatgoldsboro.org.
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Team Up Project is national collaborative program put together by Habitat for Humanity International, Catholic Charities, Interfaith America and YMCA of the USA. It began in 2022 with the founding partners agreeing that there is a need for stronger connections and better understanding between people in communities throughout the country. Team Up’s mission is to empower people from diverse backgrounds to build connections and work together across differences with others in their communities for the common good. The project's organizers believe that strong personal connections and supportive, constructive and collaborative environments are the foundations of thriving communities. Learn more at teamupproject.org.
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