Residents volunteer for Habitat for Humanity during 40 Days of Peace

It was only junior Erik Huber’s first day volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity site, and he already had to help build a house.

The project is part of Bloomington’s participation in the national 40 Days of Peace project, which started Monday.

40 Days of Peace is part of the Communities of Peace initiative from the national organization Service For Peace.

This initiative is designed to call for individuals, families, businesses, non-profit organizations, neighborhoods and law enforcement agencies to give back to their communities through volunteer work and citizenship.

Those who wish to volunteer can go online to sign a pledge that they will work to better their communities.

It starts on Martin Luther King Jr. Day because of King’s efforts for community peace and brotherhood.

“It feels good to be part of something bigger, even if I’m only one person,” Huber said.

Bloomington officials said they decided to participate in this national program that offers opportunities for people to serve together in a variety of projects to improve
the community.

Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County offers such opportunities year-round but is calling for more volunteers — like Huber — during these six weeks.

Bloomington resident Peter Bartczak also responded to the call. He has volunteered for Habitat since 2003.

“I wanted to use my retired time to help other people,” Bartczak said.

Habitat’s current aim is to build seven houses with the goal of completing them in March.

This project began in October, but new volunteers are especially encouraged to get involved throughout the 40 Days of Peace, said Meagan Niese, development director of Habitat for Humanity.

“It’s our goal to have people on the site who are enjoying what they’re doing and to see the joy that is Habitat,” construction site supervisor Adrian Starnes said.

Volunteers of all experience levels can be found at the work site.

Starnes said sub-contractors are only required for technical jobs such as plumbing or electrical work.

Other than these jobs, each house is built almost exclusively by outside members of the community.

Often families that plan to move into Habitat houses work at building sites.

Along with a demonstrated need and the ability to pay for the cost of materials to build the new house, families must put in 250 hours of “sweat equity,” which includes working on other houses, Starnes said.

“Often these people are living in houses that don’t have windows, doors or electricity,” Brett Fagan, AmeriCorps construction assistant, said. “Habitat gets them into self-sustainable living conditions.”

Though the 14th and Woodburn Habitat site was not open Monday, some of the workers chose to donate their time in other ways.

“The past two years I’ve worked at the soup kitchen over Martin Luther King Jr. day,” Fagan said. “This year I worked at the Community Kitchen making snacks for the children.”