Volunteers are the Backbone of Habitat Archuleta

“One of the greatest moments of my life was getting a house,” she said. “The first house felt so important. In my retirement, I decided that’s what I’d do, I’d help build houses around the country and around the world for Habitat International and Habitat nationwide.” Imelda found her way to Habitat Archuleta through our advertising on Habitat International’s Care-a-Vanner website.

Imelda explained having a home was especially important to her as an Irish immigrant, who came to the U.S. with two dollars in her pocket and a suitcase when she was 19.

Imelda said her first home was a cheap, rundown house. She was able to renovate it to sell it and upgrade from home to home throughout her life. She said it was a “sense of security” for her and her kids.

“It’s your foot into being a homeowner, lifelong,” she said.

The homes on Sam Houston are just her second build. Her first was in Bellingham, Wash. She is one of several “Care-a-Vanners” on site, traveling from build to build throughout the world. “The best thing about Habitat is the people,” she said. “…They’re just the neatest people from around the world. All of these volunteers have come every single day. It’s just amazing.”

Larry Parks has been a part-time volunteer in Archuleta County for 25 years. He spends the rest of his time volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Austin, Texas. Larry said he’s been a part of the construction of approximately 50 houses.

He explained that the reason he keeps coming back to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County is “the people I work with, and the people I work for.”

“This is for the family, but it’s really for the kids,” he said. “It’s a way of providing stability and generational wealth.”

Habitat for Humanity is working on three houses this summer and plans to continue that pace until 2028. Larry said this is the most productive build he’s been a part of in Archuleta County. Last summer, they built two homes for the first time, and have historically built just one per year. “Building three makes a difference,” Parks said. “We’re having an impact and I like that.”

Habitat Archuleta’s current mission is to build 15 homes in 5 years in Archuleta County. This will require hordes of volunteers. We rely heavily on the Care-a-Vanners, especially for things like painting, sanding, and flooring. Imelda is one of 37 visitors to work on Habitat Archuleta’s job site this summer, thanks in part to funding from the Area Tourism Board. Eight more visitors from the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative (CEC) are scheduled to visit the site on October 17. Executive director Jess Morrison and other partners of the CEC have asked Habitat Archuleta staff for a tour of the job site in preparation for a larger project the CEC hopes to break ground on in the coming years.

Job site staff and volunteers are entering their annual “crunch time.” We are aiming to have construction completed by Halloween, and families in their homes for Thanksgiving. Two homes have several interior touch up items to complete, the third still requires a fully stick built garage and porches on the front and back of the house.

Give us a call if you’d like to join us on the job site this last month of the build season—even lending a hand for just two hours can make an impact in this phase of construction.

We cannot thank our community enough on behalf of our homeowners, the businesses who employ them, and the children who rely upon them. Habitat Archuleta projects are a combination of volunteer labor, subcontractors, in-kind donation of products and services, and homeowner sweat equity. Habitat families work alongside volunteers to build their home and pay a mortgage they can afford.

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We’ll be on the job site Tuesday through Saturday, 8am to 2:30pm. Please call (970) 264-6960 or email office@HabitatArchuleta.org before you arrive so we can plan for how many hands will be on deck.