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Everyone goes through seasons in their life, and for us, this season is one filled with the joy and laughter of raising small children. I made the very difficult decision to leave my career as a NICU nurse nearly 3 years ago so that I could volunteer at my son’s school, help him with his homework each afternoon, cheer him on during his soccer games, and marvel in wonder as my little girl twirls during her dance class. But that desire to make a difference…to help people in need…to give of my time and myself…is still a strong passion within me.
When I first learned that Lowe’s would be renewing it’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity I just knew I wanted to be involved in some way…even if that meant simply spreading the word about the partnership and how they are making a difference across the nation.
Habitat for Humanity is a fantastic organization that works to help those who are impoverished construct, rehabilitate, or preserve their homes.
Their vision, which is to see that everyone has a decent place to live, is inspired by their conviction that housing has the power to break the cycle of poverty. Several years ago, I heard a member of Habitat for Humanity describe how being homeless precipitates the cycle of poverty.
Very often, a person loses their home because of a loss or change in their employment status. The natural inclination is to seek another source of income. Anyone who has ever filled out a job application knows that right after filling in your name, there is a space for your home address. Without an address, it becomes easy for potential employers to dismiss the application. If you continue to consider the practicalities involved with owning a home (i.e. showering and dressing before a job interview, etc.), you come to realize that a home, regardless of it’s size or condition, can significantly affect your ability to be successful at both securing and maintaining a job. Compound that with the labels of mental illness and substance abuse that are often assigned to these men and women, and you can see how this downward cycle results in a homeless population that exceeds 600,000 on any given night.
If you look at the statistics, families (particularly children), Veterans, and those who have lost their homes to a natural disaster make up a significant percentage of this population.
Habitat for Humanity has been in existence for nearly 40 years and their partnership with Lowe’s is not only brilliant but inspiring. The goal of their 10-city launch is to embolden 100,000 volunteers to raise a hammer for the organization this year. Lowe’s has been a long-time supporter of Habitat for Humanity and together, they aspire to reach one million people annually by 2018.
During our “build” project, Jamie Durie, host of The Outdoor Room on HGTV, raised a hammer in support of Hammers for Habitat. Lowe’s has renewed it’s commitment to partner with Habitat for Humanity and will donate $23.5 million over a five-year period.
If you’ve ever wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, volunteering with an organization like Habitat for Humanity is easy and rewarding. I personally like the fact that I could see the results of the volunteers’ labor that same day.
To find out how to volunteer and make a difference, visit Habitat.org/Lowes.
Images: Breanna Chanson, Radiant Photography / Rockin’ Mama
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