Habitat welcomes six AmeriCorps members and three new staff members to the affiliate.

Please help us in welcoming Jeffrey Chen, Jenna Haley, Colin Progen, Katherine Stritzl, Kathleen Woods and James Duckworth as our 2012-2013 AmeriCorps members!
These young volunteers have agreed to 10 and a half months of service, helping to eliminate poverty housing in the Portland Metro area. AmeriCorps members are a backbone of our affiliate and we treasure their dedication to Habitat’s mission.
The AmeriCorps program engages more than 80,000 men and women in intensive service each year through more than 15,000 nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups across the country. AmeriCorps members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing more than 3.4 million volunteers for the organizations they serve. Members gain valuable professional, educational, and life benefits, and the experience has a lasting impact on the members and the communities they serve.
Jeffrey Chen, from California, has has been a volunteer with Habitat since 2005 and will be serving as a construction crew leader. Jenna Haley, from Illinois, and Colin Progen, from Massachusetts, both recently completed service as AmeriCorps NCCC members at our affiliate are are returning as a construction crew leaders. Katherine Stritzl, from Missouri, recently worked with Hacienda and has joined Habitat as our Homeownership Program Assistant, ensuring partner families become successful homeowners. Kathleen Woods, from Massachusetts, has experience volunteering and fundraising for multiple nonprofit organizations and is joining as a construction crew leader. We are fortunate to also announce that James Duckworth is returning to our affiliate for a second year as an AmeriCorps construction crew leader. His experience with our affiliate and the AmeriCorps program will be truly appreciated by our team!

		Also joining our affiliate are three new staff members! Please help welcome Tor Ostrom, Andrew Lawson and Josh Philippi to the Habitat team. Tor Ostrom is our new Director of Volunteer Programs and Corporate Engagement. Tor has spent several years at the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Portland chapter and has also taught English in South Korea. Tor is excited for the opportunity to work with Habitat volunteers and has already hit the ground running in preparation for Build-a-Thon on September 19 through the 22. Andrew Lawson joins our affiliate as a Construction Supervisor and was highly recommended by New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity where he held a similar position for the last five years. Andrew previously volunteered on site many times and has shown both leadership and craftsmanship. Josh Philippi comes to us from the private construction industry in Bend, Oregon. As a one of our new construction supervisors, he brings a many years of strong construction skills to the Habitat team.