INDIAN RIVER HABITAT: SUNSHINE & SONSHINE !

Hi! It’s been some time since my last posting. We have been busy at work here at the Indian River Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, FL. I thought I’d share with you a little about the “sunshine” we have enjoyed here but, even more important, I want to share with you some of the “Sonshine” we have experienced here. I want to “put a face” on this experience by sharing with you some of the dedicated people we have met and worked with at this build.

As you might expect, the topic which seems to come up more than any other among the volunteers is the weather, especially the temperature. Our stay here in Vero Beach has been great. We have enjoyed sunshine every day, with a few clouds as well. Some days are more still than others but there is usually at least a little breeze. Though we have had a few days in the mid 60’s, most of the time we reach the mid 70’s up to 80 degrees. The local radio calls it “above average” temperatures but that’s ok with us. It would be accurate to say that not a morning goes by but what those of us from the “frozen north” speak with each other about the weather people are experiencing “back home”. At this build we often speak of the cold of West Virginia, the storms of Michigan and the snow of Northern New York. You hear things like, “They had 20 inches of snow in Michigan last night” or “It was 12 below last night up home.” Living in T-shirts and shorts much of the time one forgets the “norm” that was your life until you headed south along with many other “snowbirds”.

There certainly is something to be said about the effect which prolonged exposure to sunlight and warm temperatures has on a person both in body as well as mind. We have experienced that not only through working in our shirtsleeves in December but also in being able to take a walk, ride our bikes or just sit outside and “soak up the sunlight”. We feel very blessed to be able to be experiencing all of this. But along with all this sunshine I also want to speak of the “Sonshine” we are experiencing here at Vero Beach.

We have enjoyed worshipping at a local Baptist church since arriving here but the “Sonshine” I’m talking about is the people who openly share their faith in how they live and how they work together at this affiliate. Don’t misunderstand me, we have met some wonderful people of faith in our other two Habitat experiences during this trip but the Indian River Habitat staff is very open about their faith, about this work being a ministry and we have heard many different staff members share a devotion at the start of the day or lead prayer on the job site before sharing a work break or lunch. It is refreshing as well as encouraging to see people putting their faith into action and also be so willing to make their personal faith an integral part of who they are and what they do. I’d like to share with you a few of the “faces” of the Indian River Habitat for Humanity.

I am in no way trying to tell you about all the staff members here for there are many dedicated people serving in this ministry. But I want to introduce you to several with whom we have worked closely and tell you just a little about them.

When we are on a “site” we work with supervisors who guide us through specific tasks. They, in turn, are under the supervision of a construction foreman whose job it is to keep everything on multiple sites running smoothly and on schedule. There is also a construction foreman whose main responsibility is in working through the mountain of paperwork necessary to not only build these homes but secure funding, keep up with material needs, scheduled staff and volunteers, etc.. Beyond these folks are dozens of staff who work in the office or the Home Store to provide the necessary funding to build these homes and work with the families who will buy them. Their interest in the families does not end when they move into a new home either. They work with these folks long term, helping them with homeowner’s issues, assisting them in establishing neighborhood groups and in many other areas of their lives. The Habitat experience is so much more than just building a house and hoping the family who buy it makes a go of it. There is a lot of support after they move in to their new home as well. Most recently the local affiliate has been running a food drive to help Habitat homeowners who have either lost their jobs or have had a severe reduction in their hours of work. Just last weekend we learned of a staff member who meets with children of some of these families here at the home base of the local affiliate to lead craft classes. The ministry of Habitat goes on long after a house is build and a family moves in.

In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 16 Jesus said: “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” We have met a lot of people at this build who reflect the love of Christ in their lives and their work. They are the “Sonshine” which I spoke of at the beginning of this post. So, now, I’d like to introduce you to just a few “Faces of Habitat”.

When we arrived here in Vero Beach we were met by a retired couple from West Virginia who have made it their ministry to serve as “Team Leaders” for all the various groups who come to this affiliate through the course of a winter.



Fred and Pauline travelled for many years in their RV and now settle in here each winter to help all the volunteers who come here as Care-A-Vanners. They keep us all informed of anything we need to know. They met with us at the initial orientation meeting and provided us with lots of information about schedule, local points of interest and services. They organize meals and events for us to do together, creating a sense of a team among the group. They oversee daily lunches which Pauline brings to us at the worksite as Fred is on the site working side by side with us. Most of this build has seen Fred up on the roof! Fred and Pauline share themselves with us in many different ways. Fred worked as a square dance “caller” for many years and we have enjoyed two square dances and ice cream socials during this build, complements of Fred and Pauline. It seems that between the two of them there is always a camera at the ready and they compile a booklet for each team member filled with photos to help us remember our experiences here. Fred and Pauline serve as intermediaries between the Care-A-Vanners and the affiliate as well. They make this local experience something special.



The overall supervision on the jobsites is handled by a man named Carl. He brings over 30 years of construction experience to the job and does a great job in a challenging role. Carl juggles multiple construction sites every day. He often needs to be in three or four places at the same time dealing with construction issues, arranging for material deliveries and contracted services, and assisting site supervisors as well as volunteers. He works with a wide range of people from professionals in the construction industry to unskilled volunteers who bring a hammer and willing hands to the job site but little else in terms of skill. This husband and father of three boys is such a witness to the power of Christ in a life. In a job which could be filled with great stress and problems, Carl maintains a quiet and composed attitude with his staff as well as the sea of volunteers around him. When he has a free moment, which is rare, Carl picks up his own tools and steps in to help with one task or another or simply helps us volunteers to understand how to do something at the work site. Carl is a man of great patience and he shares his time and talents in this ministry in a great way. He is a great asset to this Habitat affiliate.

Another husband and father who spends his day on the jobsites is Jeff. Jeff also works daily with an army of volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, assigning tasks and then guiding willing hands in their completion. Jeff also sees this work as a ministry but he has a special calling outside the Habitat experience as well. Jeff has a great heart for mission and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Shortly after joining a new church the area, Jeff spoke to the pastor about starting a missions program in the church. Jeff has already led mission teams to places like India, Guatemala and Central America. He looks forward to the day when the Lord will make it possible for he and his wife to serve in the mission field full time. In the meantime Jeff is serving the Lord not only in his local church but through the ministry and mission of Habitat.

This local affiliate currently has four Americorp staff members. Three of these folks work in the office side of the ministry and one young lady named Hillary works as a supervisor on the work sites. During our build she shared supervisor’s responsibilities with a talented man named Ishmael.



Whether it’s working up on a roof, cutting and fitting trim inside a home or laying down vinyl tile, Ishmael never seems to stop. His working speed is fast forward all the time. Ishmael is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going and going! It was greata to have the opportunity to work with him.

Hillary is a dynamo. She is enthusiastic, energetic and always brings a smile and a spark to the job. She makes workdays fun as well as productive. At the start of a workday she’s seems genuinely glad you came and she always makes a point to thank us and complement our work at the end of a day. Hillary, like the others mentioned already, spends her day working at multiple tasks on one or more sites and supervises, encourages and works along side many different volunteers. Where Carl is never far from his cell phone, Hillary is rarely seen without “her truck” nearby.



This is Hillary's first experience at Habitat and she plans to continue for a while. She not only teaches many of us but she has a real desire to learn more and seems to enjoy the challenge of trying something new at the construction site. In keeping with her new found “thirst for knowledge”, Hillary has recently decided to begin college and is preparing to step out in that new direction while, at the same time, continuing to work at this Habitat affiliate. That is a big challenge but Hillary is a woman with the energy, enthusiasm and the drive to make it work. She has a great personality and a willingness to learn that will bring her success in college and in life.

I mentioned earlier in this post that we have enjoyed two square dances sponsored by Fred and Pauline.



Hillary and another Americorp girl, Joanna, joined us at those dances, their first square dancing experiences, and their enthusiasm and bright, energetic personalities were evident to all. They are fine young women with a heart for service. I guess that is why they were drawn to serve others through the Americorp program. They have much to offer both here and wherever their futures take them.

Along with the few people mentioned above are so many others we have experienced here. There are the future homeowners who work over 300 hours on various sites building up “sweat equity” toward the purchase of their own Habitat home.



It is a privilege as well as an inspiration to be able to work side by side with those who will benefit from your efforts. They really put a face on this ministry for us.



There are also our fellow Care-Vanners who come from a wide range of backgrounds, bringing with them a willingness to share themselves, their time and their skills to help provide better housing for people who need it. There are folks like Bill and Donna from New York State who came to Vero Beach for their first Habitat build. Another first timer is Scott who hails from California and is traveling around this great country in his Motor Home. And there is Ina, a PGA Golfpro from Michigan, who has spent several winters in Florida working at different Habitat builds. She’s a real sweetheart who felt that she wanted to “give something back” during her off-season. The most experienced of our team would be Ted and Kitty from Wisconsin. They have spent several winters at the Vero Beach Habitat and then, later on in the season they move on to Miami to share their time and talents in service to others down there. This year Al and Norma, also from Michigan, have come to Florida to spend their winter working through The Vero Beach Habitat affiliate. These are the members of our Care-A-Vanner team, along with our Team Leaders, Fred and Pauline. We work together, share good food together and even square dance together. This relationship is what Care-A-Vanning is all about. People from all walks of life who come together for a common goal of helping to eliminate substandard housing while getting to know and work with new people from all over this great country. They, along with many local volunteers, staff members and home buyers make up the work force which is the backbone of the Habitat construction ministry.

There are many other staff members who work in the offices, the Home Store, and on the road gathering items to sell in the store or keeping the worksites well stocked with materials, tools and whatever else is needed to keep things running. Sales from the Home Store provide a major portion of the funds needed to build these Habitat homes. Their effort is what makes it possible to build such places. This is a large and well run Habitat affiliate and one which as won “Outstanding Local Habitat Affiliate” several years running. I would encourage anyone interested in trying out a Care-A-Vanner build to consider the Indian River Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, FL. You will not be disappointed. They are a great bunch of dedicated “servants”. Through them you will see the “Sonshine” while enjoying the sunshine of this beautiful area. We’re sure glad we had the chance to work with them all out here “on the road”.