Volunteer!

     Volunteering nourishes the soul!

Welcome to the Otsego - Antrim Habitat for Humanity Family!  Volunteers play an essential role in our mission, and the success of our affiliate relies on a great team of volunteers!  Everyone has a part to play, whether it’s volunteering on a construction site, at the Habitat ReStore, in our office, serving on a committee, or at one of our events, you are giving back to your community.  We welcome volunteers of all skill levels who are interested in contributing their time and talents toward making a difference in the lives of families in need! We like to think of it as instant heart happiness!

We hope that you will find volunteering with us rewarding as you join us in our mission as a nondenominational Christian housing ministry, working in partnership to build adequate housing, creating stronger families, and a better community. If you would like to volunteer in our office or in the ReStore, please print and fill out each of the forms below or call us at (989) 732-6070 for more information.

Before coming out to any job work sites or volunteer opportunities, we are required to ask that each volunteer completes a:

• A short volunteer (safety) training session for any type of volunteer work at Habitat.
• Volunteer Interest Form
• Emergency Contact Form
• Adult-Release-and-Waiver 

• Please note anyone under the age of 18 needs to have a parent or legal guardian sign their volunteer forms.
• Media Release
• Background Check Form

We also encourage you to take Habitat’s online safety training courses available on the web or through our office. To access the website, please go to http://hfhaffiliateinsurance.com/

Sue Westfall, Otsego Habitat 2019 Volunteer of the Year

Terry and Sue Westfall

What type of accomplishments has the volunteer had over the past year?  Our Affiliate recognizes that volunteers are the cornerstone of our organization and at Otsego Habitat we are humbled by Susan Westfall who has volunteered in our ReStore as a cashier for 15 years. Sue is a former nurse from the Jackson, Michigan area. When she and her husband, Terry retired they moved north.
            Sue quickly realized she needed to do more than just “be retired” so she joined the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) here in Otsego County.  RSVP in our area organizes our retired citizens and sends them out as volunteers to nonprofits.  Looking over the list of nonprofits she could volunteer for, and seeing Habitat for Humanity on the list made it an easy choice for Sue. Her sister worked as a Manager for a Habitat in a southern state for many, many years.
            On Monday’s, Sue comes in and operates the register which allows staff time to unload merchandise from storage to stock the store, merchandise, and take inventories. Our ReStore Director, Heather Cleveland stated, “I always look forward to Monday’s with Sue.  Her dependability at the register is valued.  Her customer service is top notch!  The trust I have in Sue is solid.  It gives me the opportunity to run around the store and get little jobs done knowing that she has the front-end covered. “
           Most people would think Sue’s past career in nursing provided her the ideal skills and background to fit perfectly into our nonprofit. But anyone that comes in contact with Sue knows that she is just a special person who has a gift that she shares to touch or enrich the lives of others around her, and particularly those who are vulnerable or less able to help themselves.
 
Does the volunteer have the ability to inspire and lead others? If so, how does the volunteer accomplish this?  Over the years, Sue has formed a strong and lasting relationship with the staff. She has seen staff come, and go, but she continues to give her time and energy to our organization. Sue is engaging with customers and staff alike; many have experienced personal moments with Sue over the years.
             Our regular customers come into visit with her and they will swap notes on kids and grandchildren and Sue loves to share her “foodie” reports every Monday.  She and Terry enjoy eating out and always are sure to give Heather and staff a full report of the best deals to be found in Northern Michigan.
            Staff find her to be an invaluable resource center! She knows how the ReStore operates and sometimes mentors newer staff on the register or on how to look up pricing and make comparisons when pricing new items.
            Our only complaint about Sue is that she leaves every winter! She and her husband are “snowbirds” and they spend their summers down south, and for many years most often you would find her volunteering down in her sister’s store.
              So if you come in on a Monday, be sure to say “hi” to Sue. She will provide you a word of encouragement if you need it, respond to your questions on merchandise, or even give you a food report! But when you leave, you will leave smiling, because that is the outcome of meeting up with Sue!