– Giveback Homes Build Day –
We have been involved with Giveback Homes for a few years now. If you are not familiar with Giveback Homes, it is a wonderful non-profit that allows real estate professionals to give back and support their local communities as well as areas all over the globe. This can include anything from fundraising to assistance with building a home for a deserving family.
Recently, I had the opportunity to participate in the first Phoenix-area Giveback Homes Build Day in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona. Our project was to help build a home for a family in need in Tempe, Arizona.
This was my first time doing a build day. I was given a great t-shirt and instructions to arrive in sturdy shoes, sunscreen, long pants and lots of water. I’m not sure what I expected, but when I joined my colleagues at 6:30 AM, we were given hard hats, work gloves, and apron for our nails and a hammer by the folks from Habitat for Humanity. There were some full-time contractors as well as experienced folks who regularly volunteer.
After a quick meeting to give us an overview and information on safety, we started off carrying wood and supplies from the storage area. I loved my first job of measuring and cutting some 2×6 boards with a skill saw. I watch a lot of DIY shows and have always wanted to run a saw.
After that, my job consisted of nailing up some wooden supports and then nailing clamps the length of two walls that connected the newly erected wall to the foundation. This was a little tricky as it is small, needs 9 nails and I was hammering upside down a lot!
My favorite job and my last one for the day was nailing together 2×6 frames for the windows. Once I had some room to swing the hammer, I felt like a pro!
My favorite part of the day was a little before noon and looking back at how much our group had accomplished in the hours we were there. The pizza and very cold Cokes we shared in the shade afterward weren’t so bad either!
Overall, it was such a wonderful day staffed by fantastic folks. And, it was so motivating to know we were contributing to helping a family get a new home.
I plan to participate the next time a Build Day comes up and in the meantime will keep supporting Giveback Homes and their mission!
Want to see us in action? Here are photos from the day, courtesy of PlanOmatic.
