Anyone who can swing a hammer or paint a wall is welcome to join Habitat for Humanity as a construction volunteer. Habitat sets the stage for families and volunteers to come together. A family partners with Habitat and contributes their “sweat equity” or their own labor. A volunteer offers them a hand up, providing the support and the “muscle” that often means homes can be built at considerably lower costs. At a Habitat build site, relationships are formed and friends are made.  Construction volunteers assist with all stages of construction throughout the year to help build decent, affordable homes for our partner families.

Position: Construction Volunteers

Tasks: Typical volunteer jobs during a build include:

  • Dirt work: Site preparation, foundation, landscaping
  • Exterior work: Framing, roofing, siding, windows and doors
  • Interior work: Flooring, painting, finish carpentry
  • Specialized services: Experienced volunteers needed for plumbing, electrical, drywall and insulation work.

Note: Tasks may vary depending on construction schedule and weather.

Qualifications: No qualifications necessary! Habitat homes are built by willing hands and loving hearts. Our site supervisor is happy to teach any skills you may need.

Shifts: Workdays at the construction site are Thursday through Saturday, 8:30AM – 4:30PM. Plan to bring a lunch, and be prepared for the weather! Full and half day shifts are available. You can sign up for shifts online.

What to Bring*: Construction volunteers need to bring lunch or money for take-out and plenty of water to drink throughout the day. In addition to plenty of water, sunscreen is also very important during the summer months.

What to Wear*: Construction volunteers should wear clothes that can get dirty and are appropriate for the weather. Heavy-soled shoes (athletic shoes are fine) are also important. No open-toed or open-backed shoes (e.g. clogs, crocs, Birkenstocks, etc.) are permitted.  Some volunteer like to bring their own work gloves and tools to the site but that is not mandatory. If you do choose to bring tools please make sure they are clearly labeled.

Training Required: Volunteers must attend an orientation, fill out our Volunteer Waiver form, and watch a short safety video. Any other training will be provided on the job site and throughout the year.

Volunteer Position Opening: Volunteer Competent Person

What is a Competent Person?

OSHA defines a “Competent person” as one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. (OSHA 1926.32(f)).

As straightforward as that may seem, it’s really a two-part definition with considerable ambiguity in terms of who is capable and who has authority. OSHA inspectors who come onto a job site may test capability by asking standards-related questions about potential hazards on the site. It is critical that the Competent Person have adequate training and at-hand resources to not only answer these questions, but also — and more importantly — demonstrate the ability to identify hazards whether an inspector is present or not. After a Competent Person has identified a hazard, it is imperative that they have the authority to correct it. L-C Valley Habitat must have at least one CP who has successfully completed either the HFHI online course or an approved alternative from an OSHA Training Institute and submit appropriate documentation.

Training:

The online course to take less time than the current 16-hour in-person training. The online training also will be self-paced, allowing the trainee to break up the course over several days if necessary.

Certification:

To address authority, all Competent Person training cards issued by HFHI’s Competent Person Safety Training program are required to be signed by the executive director or the board chair. The card represents a written and signed delegation of authority to the Competent Person by the affiliate. (OSHA 1926.32(d)) Habitat Competent Persons will be expected to renew their training every year. Individuals will be notified 90, 60, and 30 days before their certification expiration date.

CP NEEDED: If you are interested in becoming a L-C Valley Habitat CP, please contact Deb Snyder at 208.792.7568.

*Please check COVID-19 updates below for any changes to this information.

We have always prioritized safety at L-C Valley Habitat, and this is true now more than ever.

  • No one should come to site if they display any symptoms related to COVID-19 in the last 24-48 hours; including, but not limited to cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, sore throat, body aches, chills, muscle pain, headaches, new loss of taste or smell or fever.
  • We are only accepting volunteers who are 18 or older.
  • Volunteers should bring a mask to site and wear while they are indoors (outdoor mask wearing is optional as long as proper social distancing measures are being taken).
  • Volunteers who are invited back to site MUST register so that we can control the flow of people and know how many volunteers are working on each home. Please do not show up to site without registering.
  • To insure proper social distancing, shift and slot availability will be limited.
  • Staff will issue tools to each person on site to avoid sharing, and all tools will be sanitized after use.
  • There will be no shared water coolers or lunches; individual water bottles will be provided on each site.
  • There will be hand washing and sanitizing stations at each worksite.
  • Volunteers over the age of 65 or with pre-existing conditions are encouraged not to volunteer.
  • Volunteers who are not complying with our safety protocols will be asked to leave.