Metal with meaning: one volunteer’s impact
Written by volunteer Wendi Frith Samuel Rugi is a scrappy guy with some serious mettle. And metal. When most people think of Habitat for Humanity, construction comes to mind. But Samuel, a regular volunteer at Habitat Portland Region ReStores, focuses on something a bit different: deconstruction. “Around Thanksgiving, I dismantled a Maytag Electric Wall Oven Microwave Combo,” […]
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Building community, one step at a time
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 […]
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Finding light in community: Ambassador Council member Sophia Dehen on hope
“It feels really good to be able to look at your day and do something hands-on and know that you’re helping, especially in these tumultuous times.” For volunteer Sophia Dehen, that feeling keeps her coming back to her work with Habitat. Over the past three years, Sophia has been giving back to the community as a member of […]
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How a Habitat volunteer became Santa Claus
“Never pass up a chocolate chip cookie,” Leon Taylor laughs. Sporting a white beard and wearing a red fleece with jeans, he looks like a modern Santa Claus (despite pairing his cookie with tea instead of milk). For the past three Decembers, Leon has embraced the role of Santa. It started when his church needed […]
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Kathleen’s ReStore story: community, creativity, and love
When Kathleen Stady got married in August, her backyard was filled with friends, family, and ReStore. She and her now-husband, John, had found their wedding arch at the Beaverton ReStore, where they both volunteer. Two friends from the ReStore helped decorate it with flowers and ribbon. Current staff and volunteers filled the guest list and […]
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Service is a family value for new Ambassador Council Chair
Written by Sarah Wexler Growing up in a large Filipino-Irish Catholic family in Chicago, Will Mohring spent countless afternoons at sprawling barbecues at his grandmother’s house. His Lola (Tagalog for “grandmother”) would cook a feast of whole fish, rice, lumpia, pancit noodles, and coconut confections. But for Will, it wasn’t just about the menu. “Those meals […]
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Family, faith and Habitat: One volunteer’s story
Jon Gice moved fairly often throughout his career in the insurance industry. And his retirement in 2016 brought one more relocation. “My daughter, my son-in-law, and two grandkids live here (in Portland). So, it was a magnet to move from Connecticut to Oregon,” Jon said. Jon and his wife happily helped take care of their […]
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Volunteer combines design savvy with sustainability at Habitat’s ReStore
With a background in fine arts, Lynn opened her own interior design business in 2010 and became known as the sustainability expert among her peers. It was her vocation in her work as a designer and an educator, working with clients interested in sustainable practices, healthy materials, and affordable and accessible housing. “I’ve always been […]
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Still in high school, Alex is introducing the mission of Habitat to a younger generation
Alex Coltman dreams of one day becoming Oregon’s first Latina senator. But first, she’s got to finish high school. At only 17 years old, Alex has already decided she is going to change this country for the better. She’s already well on her way, in fact, starting with her home community. “With people of my […]
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Home is where Habitat is: Here’s one volunteer’s story engaging with the organization around the globe
Wherever Alex Ragland is in the world, no matter the country or time zone, he knows he can find comfort and community with Habitat for Humanity. It all started when he was in college. Alex found his school’s branch of Habitat while attending Austin College in Texas. He was already keeping busy with his fraternity […]
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