Walk into the volunteer area of our Lake Oswego build site on a Tuesday and among the hard hats and tools you’re likely to spot fresh bagels. Core volunteer Ron Laster brings them for the group every week. This is just one of the many ways you’ll feel his impact on site, though he would never admit it.
For the last year, Ron has been volunteering at Habitat build sites. He has been at West Lake Grove from the very start, showing up five days a week before 8 am.
If you ask him, this is just what he loves doing.
“One of my prerequisites about life as it relates to my time has always been I have to like what I do, who I’m doing it with, and where I’m doing it.”
Always do good
In January 2025, Ron was ready for a new chapter. He had retired after nearly three decades owning a print and communication business, then spent a couple of years remodeling his house. With that complete, he asked himself, “what now?”
That led him to Habitat. Ron was eager to reconnect with hands-on construction and continue learning new skills. In addition to working on his own home, he had experience in renovating rental properties. This helped him see firsthand how access to quality, affordable housing creates stability for families and strengthens communities — an understanding that naturally aligned with Habitat’s mission.
He has seen the benefits of affordable housing firsthand. When individuals and families can access reliable housing, he says, it brings stability, connection, and opportunities to their lives. And when people have those stable communities, it benefits the fabric of larger neighborhoods and economies.
“There’s a saying in life, ‘always do good,’ and maybe that’s what the bottom line is.”
Who you’re with
He already knew he loved this work when he joined Habitat. What really got him hooked was the leadership and community that he found.
From the very first days at West Lake Grove, Ron grew to greatly admire the crew for their support, guidance, and the welcoming environment they created for volunteers.
“Invariably, every volunteer left the site with a smile on their face,” Ron says. “I was terribly impressed, and that got me to want to be more involved.”
Building step by step
It’s safe to say Ron has found his niche on the build site. “Building stairs is my thing,” he explains. For him, it is the most satisfying job out there because you can interact with your work in a way that is not possible with, say, a wall.
“That’s really the only part of the building I get a sense of being physically involved with,” he explains. “Stairs are something people need, and you want to make as comfortable as possible.”
He says everyone knows the feeling of walking up bad stairs — too steep, steps at an awkward angle — so he checks every step with a level to ensure he only builds stairs he would want to climb.
The feeling is mutual
All the hours Ron puts in at West Lake Grove add up. Ron has “been crucial to our success in building 10 homes with volunteers,” says Site Superintendent Hector Orozco.
“Everyone onsite knows Ron and is impressed by his work ethic and how friendly he is to everyone he comes across. It is difficult to express how grateful I am for his presence here at West Lake Grove.”
