a view from the front lines of the habitat mission

by Sam Parnitzke, Habitat Lakeside marketing intern
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Not many people in the world know what it's like to see a Habitat Lakeside House go up piece by piece.
There’s something to be said about looking to your left and seeing a retired paper manufacturer secure a roof truss. Or on your right, the retired custodian, armed with a nail gun, making sure the support is steady. Seven guys stand in front of a wooden skeleton. With multiple generations separating the oldest and the youngest, they work hand in hand to make sure one more family has a decent, affordable place to live.

I can’t sit here and show you the “volunteer feeling.” Words don’t even do justice to what I saw. But what makes it worthwhile is being surrounded by lifelong volunteers who have a heart for serving Sheboygan County. They spend weeks on end devoting their skills and time because they believe in our mission just as much as we do. They crawl up scaffolding, walk fearlessly across roofs, and collectively lift hundreds of pounds of lumber. What stands out to me the most is the community within the community. As the guys spend hours on end, working towards a goal that will never benefit any of them personally, they talk. They talk, they joke; they debated last night’s game, and if the Packers defense had taken the next step yet. In that moment they were nothing more than just regular guys.

The truth is that these volunteers don’t need to be out in the sun for eight hours a day putting up trusses. Our volunteers don’t need to be 75 years old and still work with a nail gun like they’re a half-century younger. Our volunteers aren’t required to be gracious givers who are firm in their search to put God’s love into action. They are never required, yet they show up and do the work. What I observed and worked alongside were six other guys who inspired me to work harder because I could see their vision. I could feel their commitment.

Spending a couple hours a week on these jobsites has been one of the coolest working experiences of my life. I came in as an office intern who had very little knowledge of that side. I don’t know if I could have told you the difference between a framing hammer and a straight bar. However, I never felt lost. They taught me the skills I needed and made sure that what I was doing was right. I vividly remember Jon teaching me the precise angle to maximize leverage on a drill and Paul showing me how to shovel gravel in a way that doesn't make your forearms burn. Even if it meant measuring far more times than I cut, it was a reward to see the finished product being added to the house.

The coolest thing about my experience? It doesn't have to be just mine. Becoming a build site volunteer has never been easier. You don’t need certifications or training, even skills are nothing compared to a strong work ethic. I wish I could shout from the rooftops how much personal fulfillment comes from driving past a house you worked on. To be able to see that plot of land looks a thousand times more beautiful now than when you first arrived. To me, working on a build site means joining the front lines of mission for good. To me, working on the build site means joining the Habitat family.

Marketing Intern Sam Parnitzke volunteering at the build site for Habitat Lakeside House No. 53.