- Habitat for Humanity

Week 5 at Habitat

nospam@example.com (Kerrie Gottschalk) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:21:05 -0600

We started work on a new house on 37th Terrace. On Tuesday I was immediately put in charge of a crew to build framing and covering the hole where the storm shelter will be. We did not want a repeat of the accident last week when a man fell in the basement. The framing will support cement that is going to be poured on top of it to create the ceiling. It took us most of the morning to complete the job. After lunch we moved up the street to the other house on 37th Terrace and continued to put up framing for the walls. I spent most of my time on clean up, fetching tools, and measuring and cutting lumber.

To the left is a picture of the 37th Terrace house with the framing for the walls put up.

Wednesday we worked at the Women Build house. A crew started installing tile backer board in the kitchen and bathroom. I worked in the basement and learned how to set tile.

Thursday we immediately picked up where we left off on the tiling project at the Women Build house. I was tasked with cutting the tile, so I learned how to use a tile saw. (Not taking any chances, I wore safety glasses on top of my regular glasses). Another crew continued to work upstairs installing the backer board. By the end of the day, most of the tile in the basement entry was installed and nearly all of the backer board but one piece was installed upstairs. It was a very productive, gratifying day.

More cold, rainy weather kept us working at the Women Build house on Friday. I became adept at using the tile saw. By the end of the day the basement bathroom was completely tiled and only two rows needed to be completed in the entry way.

Saturday morning I cut the remaining tile for the basement entry way. At lunchtime, the owner's mother had set up a chili luncheon spread for us. We sat outside and enjoyed the rare sunny day. The food was fantastic and the laughter and camaraderie was a joy. After lunch a couple of women and I grouted all of the tile save for the tile we set in the morning. It was messy, but satisfying work. What a transformation!

This was the last day of my sabbatical and I was sad to see it end. The staff gave me a "thank you" gift and card, which touched me. I'm going to miss seeing them on a daily basis. I have learned so many new things, met some great, caring people, and have just had a lot of fun.

The experience gave me much to be grateful for and allowed me to give something back to the community. I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to do so. It's not the end, though. I will go back as time allows so that I can continue to give and receive.

Week 4 at Habitat

nospam@example.com (Kerrie Gottschalk) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:17:00 -0500

On Tuesday we worked on installing the decking (subfloor) at the 37th Terrace house. To install the big sheets of we put glue on the floor joists and them nailed them in place. That process should help ensure quiet floors after the house is finished. I did get a little discouraged when the guys took over, but some things I physically couldn't do (lifting heavy boards) and that frustrated me. I may have to take up weight lifting to build some upper body strength.

On Wednesday we were at the 37th Terrace house again. We finished installing the decking and then unloaded the pre-built wall framing. We put up two wall sections. Raising the wall sections was exciting. We had hoped to do more, but rain moved in and prevented us from continuing. Other volunteers left, but Jim (the site manager) and I went to another house and built and installed a handrail.

I'm really starting to understand how a house it built from the ground up. The process seems simple, but I think that is because the site manager is prepared and makes sure everything is done as correctly as possible.

More rain on Thursday, so we worked at the Women Build house. I was tasked with fixing some gaps in trim work and then was put to work on caulking the windows. The crew volunteering for the day had to leave early, which disappointed me. I wanted to to put in the full amount of time. I enjoy the work so much that I don't want to stop before quitting time. I want to squeeze out every moment of this sabbatical because I'm enjoying the chance to work outside, work with my hands, and meet new people.

Cold wind made it a blustery day on Friday, but we worked outside at the 37th Terrace house anyway. Before any work could begin, though, we had to wait for the volunteers to show up. After they arrived we began raising the framing for the outside walls. All was going well until one of the volunteers was walking backwards and fell into the basement, which was a 9-foot fall. Fortunately he wasn't seriously hurt (his glasses didn't even fall off), but a team was immediately assigned to build framing for the opening and covering it with plywood. I spent the afternoon measuring and cutting studs. A note about measuring: always make sure you check your math with the person who wants the job done. We were a one half inch too tall and had to re-cut every single stud. It didn't take us too long to fix our mistake, but we could have been helping with raising walls if we hadn't made the error.

On Saturday I was asked to lead a crew at the Women Build house. I felt honored that the site manager trusted me enough to lead a group of volunteers. We spent the day painting trim in the basement and finishing the caulking in the windows. The group was fantastic. Once I told them what needed to be done, they got right to it and didn't need any help from me. One of the women provided lunch for all of us. We sat outside as we ate and enjoyed the warm sun.

Week 3 at Habitat

nospam@example.com (Kerrie Gottschalk) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:30:28 -0500

My third week at Habitat was full of a variety of tasks, which make volunteering for this organization so much fun.

On Tuesday I helped apply grass seed and spread hay over the seed, while the site manager, Jim, and another volunteer set forms and poured cement to fill in a sidewalk slab. Later that day Jim taught me how to drive a Bobcat Skid Steer Loader. It was a blast.

The weather continued to be cold and rainy, but Wednesday we worked inside of the Women Build house, which does not have heat or electricity yet, but at least we were out of the rain and wind. We built window jambs, attached the casing and installed them into the window frames. We also started installing pre-hung doors. Split jambs made the installation much easier. (One half has the door already mounted to the jamb, with the casing already attached to it. The other half of the jamb also has casing applied to it.) As we used the table saw extensively, I am finally losing my fear and apprehension of using one.

Thursday was a busy day at the Women Build house. A large number of volunteers arrived and work immediately began on finishing the window boxes, cutting and installing the trim and baseboard, installing the rest of the doors, and caulking the windows and doors. It was fascinating to see how people gravitated to various tasks and started getting the work done. By late afternoon almost all of the trim and baseboard was installed and caulked on the first floor. While a team installed cement backerboard for tile in the kitchen, I ran a caulk gun. The work was tedious but gratifying, and it was a good way to make a contribution while staying out of the way. After hours I went to the house where the Americorps volunteers are living and installed their blinds.

We spent Friday at the 37th Terrace house. My construction vocabulary grew quite a bit that day. I installed a sill plate all on my own. (A sill plate is the first component of the framing, bolted to the foundation walls, supports the building while anchoring it to the foundation.)

While I was working on my sill plate, another team was attaching the rim joists and then installing the floor joists.

Near the end of the day some of the subfloor was nailed down. I spent a lot of time helping lift floor joists, fetching tools, holding things in place, and watching one volunteer fearlessly walk on the sill plates and foundation while helping to nail down the floor joists. His balance was amazing. We were lucky to have him helping because most of us agreed that we neither had the courage nor the sense of balance he had.

One of the things that strikes me about volunteering for Habitat is that people step up with the right skill or courage to learn and typically take on a task with fervor. I have enjoyed being a part of that process.

Week 2 at Habitat

nospam@example.com (Kerrie Gottschalk) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:57:40 -0500

Cold and rainy weather dominated week two at Habitat, but it didn't stop us from working.

At the Women Build house, the retaining wall and porch railing were finished.

While volunteers were working on the porch railing, I assisted at another house raking out dirt clods, preparing the soil for seeding and hay.

I'm learning that so much of construction is preparation. Get and load the right tools, build walkways to cover the clay mud so that workers can access the house without falling down, have some experts who can direct and teach the unskilled, and have a plan B if the weather prevents work. We did all of that last week. The plan B included cleaning up the outside of the Habitat Headquarters in preparation for the 30th birthday celebration on Saturday.

On one of the clear days, we built and raised "down walls" at the 37th St. Terrace house. There are more picture here. From the photos you can see that most of the volunteers are men. I don't mind being one of the few women on the site. I'm learning a lot from the skilled guys. They are great about offering their building tips: how to pull out a nail, make a cut without the wood binding, and using a Sawzall. I don't get treated any differently than the guys and I don't hesitate to ask when I don't know how to do something.

On Friday, despite the cold and muddy conditions we proceeded with work on the 37th Terrace house. We added sill plates, bolted down the front wall, put in the supports for the beam, squared and plumbed the walls, and set several of the floor joists, but ran out of time to install them. About midday, a ceremony was held to dedicate the house to the homeowner. At lunch we enjoyed barbecue and then we continued our work on the "guts" of the house. I'm learning how important it is to get them right so that the next steps can be done correctly. Make things level and square. When you make mistake, and you will, catch them and fix them before you move on.

Saturday was the 30th Anniversary celebration. I volunteered at the "decorate you own cupcake" table. Unfortunately, the weather was windy and near freezing, so fewer people showed up than were expected, but it did not dampen the celebratory spirits. Habitat KC has been "building houses, building hope and changing lives" for 30 years and they continue to do so. I feel privileged to be a small part of that progress.

Working on Someone Else's House

nospam@example.com (Kerrie Gottschalk) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:47:37 -0500

I work at an organization that grants one-month sabbaticals to employees who have been employed for 10 years or more. I have worked at the organization for almost 12 years and applied for a sabbatical this year. My application was approved and I am now spending the month of October working for Habitat for Humanity. I started on Thursday, Oct. 1st. Happily, my days will be filled with working on other peoples' homes. No cubicle for one whole month!

I'm still working on my own house, still working on replacing the tape in the seams in the master bedroom, making slow progress. But with Habitat, the progress is faster and the reward for the work is much greater.

My first day was spent at the Women Build house. The Women Build projects "provide low-income families
with decent, affordable homes and an opportunity for women to learn
construction in a supportive, encouraging and empowering environment." I spent the day helping with building the retaining wall. The picture is a little dated because the driveway, front steps, and siding have been completed. The next time I'm assigned to work on the house I'll take an updated picture.

This sabbatical opportunity is a gift to me. I'm getting to learn new skills while helping someone else acquire someplace safe and comfortable to call home. As much as I struggle with the progress on my own house, I'm heartened by seeing progress being made on other peoples' houses and know that someday I will have a house I can be proud of.

Throughout the month I will be sharing my experiences of my volunteer work with Habitat, so keep coming back for updates.