Volunteer Spotlight: James Burnham
The Pacific Crest Trail spans from the US-Mexico border to British Columbia, winding its way through the rugged peaks and valleys of California, Oregon and Washington. James Burnham—a Habitat volunteer, avid hiker, and Auto Litigation Unit Manager at Travelers Insurance—has plans to walk all 2,659 miles of that famous trail. It’s these kind of […]
Read MoreA Retirement that is Anything But Boring
Some folks look forward to retirement because they can finally take a break from work, kick off their shoes and relax. Others prefer to find work even after retirement and choose to spend some of their time volunteering. Last year, over 1,800 volunteers donated their time and energy to Habitat for Humanity Portland/Metro East. Habitat is lucky to have many retirees […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Carole Hedstrom
Carole Hedstrom’s warm smile is a welcoming beacon to volunteers as they arrive at Habitat’s Brooklyn Pines build site in SE Portland. As a volunteer site host, Carole ensures that volunteers are properly checked-in, suited up with safety gear and ready for the day ahead, while helping keep the build site tidy and organized. Carole’s […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Bob Bailey
After a long career spent as a doctor practicing internal medicine in Gresham, Bob Bailey’s retirement was right around the corner. He remembered chatting with a patient about Habitat for Humanity and how this person was learning new skills as a Habitat volunteer. He decided to give it a try, saying “I wanted to get out of the […]
Read MoreLending a Hand, Near and Far
Jene Cates may be a new face on the build site here in Portland, but her experience with Habitat for Humanity spans years, states and even countries. It was nearly 15 years ago that she first picked up a hammer with Habitat’s Women Build program in Anaheim, California, and spent a year as a family […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Aaron Good
Aaron Good’s first day volunteering on the build site may have been the worst weather he’s seen yet—pouring rain and 33 degrees in January of 2016, it was a tangible reminder that Habitat builds houses in all kinds of weather. He took it in stride; to Aaron, it was just a part of the package. Knowing that his hard work as a volunteer was helping a local family purchase their own […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Catherine Brinkman
Catherine first volunteered with Habitat for Humanity back in her college days, helping to install vinyl siding on a new home. More recently, Catherine has been an incredible asset in the office. Her first project with us exposed her to a different side of Habitat than most volunteers as she interviewed some of our long-time […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Andy Lee
Andy Lee’s genuine care and appreciation for other people is evident not only by his chosen profession—psychiatric medicine—but also by his dedication to volunteering and giving back to his community. A volunteer with a myriad of different organizations over the years, Andy has been with Habitat since 2010, even leading a crew during a Jimmy […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: Pete Conklin
Pete Conklin grew up watching his father’s hands; from carpentry to engineering, they worked tirelessly and inspired in Pete something he would carry with him the rest of his life—a passion for creating. With a hardy work ethic, Pete taught himself the knowledge and skills that would eventually lead to many things, from tinkering on […]
Read MoreVolunteer Spotlight: William Cunninghame
Step into the Habitat office and you just might be greeted by William Cunninghame’s friendly smile. He welcomes staff and visitors every Wednesday afternoon as the volunteer front desk receptionist. He also lends his skills to both the Development and Homeownership teams, aiding with data entry for our annual events and yearly homeownership application process. Raised in a small town, William learned the value of […]
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