Volunteers Are Our Most Important Asset
Habitat for Humanity is able to achieve its mission of decent affordable homes for low income families because of the many hours donated by dedicated volunteers. Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is an all volunteer organization from its officers and Board of Directors to the committee members and weekend builders. Without these dedicated volunteers, our homes would be as expensive as market values and unattainable by low income families. We depend on volunteers not only to build the houses, but also for every task the organization needs to do to keep financial and legal records, generate newsletters and publicity, support our website, and many more.
What is required of a dedicated volunteer? We need people who are willing to make commitments and keep them. Since we are an all volunteer organization, if a volunteer does not do something that has been promised, it does not get done. Please make reasonable commitments and keep them. We have no paid staff to complete what is undone. When life situations prevent keeping a commitment, it is very important to notify the person to whom you made the commitment, as early as possible. Teamwork is also key to accomplishing our goals and to having fun. Don’t forget to have fun in what you’re doing.
What can I do? Do things you are very familiar with or you can try new things – whatever will be the most fun and rewarding for you. Most people think of building houses when they hear Habitat for Humanity. Many volunteers do work on houses on weekends. However, we have many other opportunities to contribute if building is not you’re your first choice. We need people to support the builders and their efforts. We need people to select and work with the new homeowners. We need people to work with our volunteers and schedule tasks for them. Would you like to be a liaison to churches or find property for us to build the next house? Do you have technical skills you want to use to support a database or a website? How about writing newsletter articles? If you have a particular interest or skill, talk to us.
Can community service credit be earned by volunteering? Yes. Community Service requirements fall mainly into two categories: a.) court mandated and b.) youth requirements for school, church, or some other organization. In either case, appropriate forms must be submitted in advance so that we can track your volunteer hours properly since we must certify the time. Please download and print the appropriate set of forms for your requirements:
Complete the appropriate community service form and get them to us before volunteering. Upon completion of your volunteer time, we shall submit certification reports to the indicated agency or organization.
Volunteer Registration
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please complete sign-up via our new online registration system. Read details about registration and how the systems work on the Volunteer Registration page . Before working on a site, please complete the volunteer release form. Volunteer opportunities are also emailed to our GNHFH Yahoo Group mailing list. If you have questions, please send us a note.
High Priority Volunteer Positions
VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is looking for volunteers to help with administrative work in the office: answering emails, populating a database, answering the phone, taking messages, answering questions for walk-ins, and other miscellaneous duties. Some minor training is required.
Skills
- Office Administration: Experience in database entry and maintenance, strong written and oral communication skills.
Requirements
We need volunteers who can work regularly and commit to a regular schedule. We are seeking volunteers who can fit one of three schedules between Monday and Friday: 10am to 4pm, 10am to 2pm, and 1pm to 4pm.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND ADVOCACY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers that are willing to assist the organization in the process of acquiring building permits, variances, and in tackling other similar issues at the town and city level in the Greater Nashua Area. Members of the Government Relations and Advocacy committee will also address state and federal issues that affect our affiliate.
How does Habitat work with the government?
- Our Government Relations and Advocacy team works with legislators and housing regulators to increase support for affordable homeownership and eliminate poverty housing.
- We monitor public policies related to housing, community and international development.
- We advocate policy choices that increase access to decent, affordable housing for people around the world.
- We accept government funds for infrastructure, utilities, capacity building or training, and house building. We accept these funds so long as they have no conditions that would violate Habitat’s principles or limit its ability to proclaim its Christian identity.
We are looking for volunteers willing to endeavor in these areas of work on behalf of our Greater Nashua affiliate.
Skills
- Communication: Volunteers in this committee will need to work on some of these issues during business hours, so a flexible schedule in the Monday through Friday business-hours time-frame is desirable. Experience with city, state, and federal government work is helpful, as well as any academic backgrounds in political or government studies.
Requirements
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE MEMBER
The Fundraising Committee is looking for members who can make a commitment to attend monthly meetings in order to help plan, coordinate, and participate in the organization and management of fundraising events. Volunteers in his role should be willing to assist the Fundraising Committee Chairman in seeking donations for events such as raffles, an annual Bake Sale, silent auctions, etc. The volunteer should also be willing to help organize fundraising events, such as dinners, yard sales, etc., and should be willing to participate in managing these events with other volunteers on the date of the event. The committee is in need of volunteers willing to commit to this work for a year or more, in order to maintain continuity and help train new volunteers in these responsibilities.
Willingness to do work on behalf of the volunteer committee at the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity office during business hours is welcome: the committee is also in need of volunteers who can help write promotional items such as flyers at the office.
Skills
- Fundraising
Requirements
The most critical requirement in this volunteer role is continuity: the committee needs help from volunteers willing to work on a handful of events over the course of a year. Anyone who is willing to volunteer to meet some or all of the functions described above is welcome.
ASSISANT OFFICE MANAGER
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is looking for a volunteer who can commit to a fairly regular schedule each week at the office as well as to learning office operations comprehensively enough to help supervise volunteer Administrative Assistants. The volunteer Assistant Office Manager must be able to fulfill all the tasks a volunteer Administrative Assistant could fulfill: handling email traffic, fielding phone calls, responding to walk-in inquiries, completing some database work, and distributing mail. The position requires this knowledge in case there aren’t enough volunteers to cover those tasks at any given time. A schedule can be adjusted with ample pliability for any interested volunteers, but we do need support in maintaining some regularity. The volunteer Assistant Office Manager will need to train volunteers regularly.
Skills
- Office Administration: Experience with Microsoft Word, email programs (Microsoft Office, Gmail, etc.), internet browsers and searches is necessary. Management experience is helpful.
Requirements
At least one full six-hour day a week between Monday and Friday. Any additional time volunteered will be greatly appreciated.
SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers who are willing to join this committee to support the Building Committee, and the A Brush With Kindness Committee in their efforts.
The Safety Committee is a sub-committee of the Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity Building Committee. This committee is responsible for safety process on the Habitat build sites, as well as any work that could present potential lead paint issues, or other similar issues. When necessary, this subcommittee will also tackle any safety issues that arise in warehouse and ReStore efforts.
The volunteers on the committee work to refine the process used to raise the awareness of the people on the build site about safe work practices and reducing risk on the build-site.
Skills
- Safety, Lead, Construction: Familiarity with Lead-Paint issues, as well as safety measures at construction sites is critical in this effort, as well as a willingness to acquire and read manuals from Habitat for Humanity International as they are released.
Requirements
Familiarity with construction and paint safety issues. A willingness to read Habitat for Humanity International publications on these subjects and to share this information with volunteers. This committee is being organized from scratch – so it will be helpful if anyone volunteering for a role in this committee is willing to take a leadership role. This is not a requirement but something that would be helpful.
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE MEMBER
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity’s Technology Committee is seeking volunteers to assist in several aspects, one of the most critical being assisting affiliate leaders and volunteers where knowledge and understanding of online tools is outdated, incomplete, or short, at first by helping complete a number of tasks but with a long-term goal of providing training and guidance until self-sufficiency in these areas is met.
The technology committee manages the office computers and other equipment. We provide technical direction for the website (content is provided mainly from the public relations committee). Overall, our goal is to make the jobs of everyone in the organization easier.
If you are technically inclined, you’re welcome to assist us in our efforts (see the online volunteer form). We generally do not adhere to any specific programming language or paradigm. We draw on the skillset of our volunteers and we encourage exploration in new technologies. We try to focus on de facto standards, but we’ll use more obscure technologies if we have the volunteers to support them and they help us serve our mission. Being an all-volunteer non-profit, we definitely focus on low-cost solutions.
Currently in the office we run Windows XP and Ubuntu Linux. Licenses to many software products have been made available to us at a reduced cost through TechSoup. Many of our computers are donations from local individuals and companies.
The website is created with WordPress. WordPress is written in PHP and it stores its data in a MySQL database. WordPress Plugins used include Akismet, Breadcrumb NavXT, cformsII, Google Sitemaps Generator, postcasa, and Viper’s Video Quicktags. Web hosting is done using Apache through TotalChoiceHosting, and email is through Google Apps.
Skills
- Computer, Typing, Internet Tools: See above notes.
Requirements
FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity’s Fundraising Committee is looking for volunteers who will be willing to support the committee in a variety of efforts.
Volunteers should have the courage to offer the opportunity for giving to others, know the intricacies of Habitat for Humanity and be able to answer questions regarding its principles, policies, and procedures, have good networking connections in the community, have creative ideas and plans to generate resources, be able to work with diverse people, and now how to put together a fundraising plan. Training in these areas can be provided.
Some Responsibilities Include:
Shaping a comprehensive fundraising plan with the Fundraising Chairman that includes target sources and amounts, dates and assignments.
Working with the Fundraising Chairman and the treasurer to ensure that processes are in place for donor recognition, IRS substantiation and categorized record keeping by source of income and donor. Setting up appropriate sub-committees with the Fundraising Committee Chairman or work groups to handle efforts with churches, individuals, businesses, financial institutions, fraternal organizations, civic groups, foundations, etc.
Committee members will help the Chairman maintain records of where contacts have been made to avoid duplication of effort and seek a list of in-kind donations desired by the building committee as well as develop strategies to meet those needs.
Event coordination, organization, prize and donation collection (for raffles and silent auctions), are among the critical needs in this committee.
Skills
- Fundraising: Please see above for full description.
Requirements
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity’s Fundraising Committee is looking for volunteers that are willing to commit to the organization and coordination of projects and that are willing to work on several events and functions over the course of the year.
SITE SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBER
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers willing to work in the Site Selection Committee’s efforts to acquire donated land. A large part of this effort requires work in the office: creating or using existing form letters, and organizing an effort to solicit land-owners in the Greater Nashua Area.
Skills
- Writing, Mailing: A large part of this volunteer role is to engage in a campaign to find donated land through mail correspondence. Office skills, writing skills, computer and MS Word skills are helpful.
Requirements
This volunteer effort requires organizational skills, accurate record-keeping (in order to avoid duplicating efforts), and work that can be done off-site but would probably be more efficiently done at the organization’s office (due to the need to cover office supply expenses, etc.). Members of this committee are also encouraged to attend Site Selection meetings in order to become familiar with the overall effort to find land and properties to rehabilitate in the Greater Nashua Area.
TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is seeking a volunteer who owns a truck or several trucks and who is willing to coordinate with various Habitat for Humanity leaders, ranging from Building Committee leaders to Fundraising Committee leaders in order to coordinate the loading, transportation, and unloading of goods for a variety of events or duties.
The Transportation Coordinator should be able to organize a team of volunteers to manage this work when it arises. There is no set schedule for this, so the Transportation Coordinator should be willing to help create and manage a list of other volunteers willing to provide trucks and transportation assistance when the organization’s need to move items to and from different locations arises. This is an increasingly important need at this organization and a long term (one year or more) commitment would be appreciated.
Skills
- Transportation, Driving: Managing volunteers that own trucks, managing the loading and unloading of goods at different events and locations on behalf of the organization.
Requirements
It would be preferable if a volunteer in this role could commit to helping in this capacity over an extended period of time – at least a year. The volunteer should own a truck or help line-up transportation support in this capacity.
Ideally, other potential truck owners and drivers will enlist to help assist the organization during specific events. The volunteer in the Transportation Coordinator role will help coordinate these volunteers when the need arises.
TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANT
Description
Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers who own trucks to help the organization transport goods to events or construction sites.
These needs arise at different times and for both regularly scheduled events or unique events. Items that need to be loaded, transported, and unloaded range from construction materials to tables for events.
Volunteers willing to provide their time in this capacity will be on a call-list and contacted for specific events or needs.
Skills
- Driving, Truck Space: Drivers should be willing to donate time to help load, transport, and unload materials for a variety of events.
Requirements
Volunteers must own a truck as the organization is not currently in possession of any truck space. It is preferable if the volunteer is able to bring assistance for the loading and unloading of goods.
ANNUAL BAKE SALE VOLUNTEER
Description
Each year Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity holds a Nashua Winter Holiday Stroll Annual Bake Sale. The Fundraising Committee is searching for volunteers willing to join the Fundraising Committee to help organize this event each year.
This volunteer role is responsible for working with the committee’s chairman in finding volunteers to man tables at the event, volunteers to contribute home-made baked goods, schedule donation pick-ups, man the Habitat information table at the event, etc.
Although the event takes place once a year, volunteers in this role are encouraged to participate in Fundraising Committee activities throughout the year, and to attend meetings regularly.
Skills
- Volunteer Management: Volunteers interested in helping the Fundraising Committee should be willing to manage volunteers for the event, as well as help with any work at the actual event where we are short on volunteers.
Requirements
A willingness to work with the Fundraising Committee with some regularity throughout the year and attend committee meetings, providing more input and management work as the Annual Bake Sale event approaches. This volunteer should be willing to recruit volunteers for the event and to help cover any work at the event that the Fundraising Committee is unable to recruit volunteers for. Other Fundraising Committee members will help with this effort.
The volunteer should be able to donate the bulk of his or her volunteer time around the Bake Sale event time.
NEWSLETTER DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Description
The Newsletter Distribution Manager will work with the Public Relations Committee and the office team at Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity. The Newsletter Distribution Manager will be in charge of managing volunteers that have signed up to fold newsletters, add contribution envelopes to them, and organize them according to zip codes. This typically occurs four times a year, and roughly 2500 newsletters are sent out with a majority going to the Greater Boston Area and the rest of New England as well as a smaller portion being mailed anywhere from other states and abroad.
This volunteer role will require some coordination with the organization’s Treasurer and the US Postal Service to coordinate the bulk mailing process. Typically, each newsletter requires an evening of work with a team of about 20 volunteers and mailing the newsletter containers during the day through the US Postal Service’s Bulk Mail office.
Skills
- Management, Organization: Volunteers are already in place to work on this effort, this volunteer role will focus on managing them.
Requirements
The newsletter is released up to four times a year. The Newsletter Distribution Manager should be willing to manage this work four times a year and commit to the role for a year or more as it requires some training. The role requires some physical work, mainly in moving freshly released materials to and fro.
Volunteer and have fun!
See also:
