The Volunteering Page of Dawson Kugler

Before You Volunteer: Please scroll down to learn more about what to expect when you volunteer with Habitat. Please also know that Habitat will monitor local and federal health and safety guidelines and implement any applicable restrictions that may be in place on the day you volunteer.

Family and Current Housing
Melissa joined the Habitat program hoping for a fresh start for her family. She and her daughter, Alexis, live in Minerva in a trailer that’s deteriorating. When Melissa purchased the trailer with her fiancé several years ago, the idea was to have a home they could call their own – and Melissa has since worked hard and paid off the mortgage. Even though the trailer was older, Melissa’s fiancé was able to handle any maintenance issues that popped up. But after Melissa’s fiancé passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, it became difficult for Melissa and her daughter to keep up with the demands of the aging trailer. Now, the roof is leaking, and the front porch is rotting. The outer edges of the trailer are sinking, causing a strain on the seam that runs through the middle of the trailer and weak spots in the floor. Mold grows in the crevices of the house. Friends and family are important to Melissa and Alexis, but neither feel comfortable inviting people over because of the condition of the trailer.Melissa heard about Habitat from a coworker and applied so that she and Alexis could have the opportunity to have a better place to call home. Continuing to own her own home matters to Melissa because it gives her something she can pass down to her daughter – something Melissa says will give her an advantage and a step in the right direction as an adult. When Alexis pictures life in her family’s new Habitat home, she imagines coming home from a nice day at school and being able to bring her friends home with her. She’s looking forwardto being able to go outside in their new neighborhood and to having dinner together as a family. For Alexis, watching her mom put in her sweat equity hours as she prepares to build their new home has reminded her of the importance of never giving up and of always keeping the end goal in mind. “I’m really proud of her,” Alexis said. “She’s wanted a new house, and she’s tried her best, and she’s working really hard. She’s who I aspire to be.”