CNHFH Volunteer

Volunteer Today!!

Central Nebraska Habitat for Humanity is very proud to announce that our new
A Brush with Kindness program has begun!
CNHFH is looking for enthusiastic, caring volunteers to participate on our Weekend Projects.

Read below for all the different ways you can participate then download the
ABWK Volunteer Manual and complete the forms and Volunteer waiver.
If you have questions, please contact Kathleen at 308-289-9447, or email us.

Project Leaders

Given the short duration and simplified nature of the ABWK projects, the typical multi-committee approach to working with a homeowner gets confused and creates a lot of overlap. Instead, for the ABWK projects, one volunteer Project Leader will agree to a project at the beginning and follow it through to completion- almost as the Chief or Foreman of that particular project.
This person will be involved from the very beginning, participating with the Assessment team in the planning, measuring, materials requests, etc. and then go on to direct activities during the project completion. The Project Leader is expected to be available for the duration of the project by phone to answer questions, help coordinate volunteers and to instruct the CNHFH Director of the project’s needs. During the actual activity phase, the Project Leader will need to be onsite at all times that volunteers are onsite working, or have made prior arrangements with the Director.
Desired Skills: Some construction experience or knowledge of building materials and procedures. Willingness to lead and instruct. Ability to coordinate and assign volunteers to different tasks on the job site

Team Leaders

For each of the following activity teams, a Team Leader will be assigned to monitor and coordinate the team's efforts. The Team Leader is expected to be onsite at all times when their team is scheduled to work. They are to help coordinate volunteers, work with the Project Leader to ensure that the projects goals are being met, to ensure that safety procedures are being followed, to reassign volunteers that have completed tasks, and to oversee the clean up of their work at the end of the team's scheduled time.
Desired Skills: Prior experience or knowledge in the area of work they are leading. Ability and willingness to lead, instruct, and assign duties. Attention to detail, safety procedures, and clean up work is essential.

First Aiders

A First Aider can be any member of any team that has knowledge of First Aid/ EMS/ Medical. First Aiders will only be asked to perform in this role in the event of injury or accident on the job site. Otherwise this person will work with their chosen volunteer team.
One First Aider will be assigned to each shift during actiivity on the job site. Therefore this position can be filled by multiple people throughout the course of the project. Additionally, First Aiders may be asked to assist in the delivery of safety instructions and monitoring the First Aid/ Medical station at the job site.
Desired Skills: Knowledge of First Aid/ EMS skills or training. Ideally, prior knowledge of workplace accident/ emergency response procedures. Willingness to work with the Director and Project Leaders to ensure all First Aid and safety policies and procedures are adhered to.

Prep Team

This team of people will be responsible for preparing the job site for the repair work. Prep teams will handle things such as washing, scraping, sanding, and caulking windows and doors. This position might also include minor debris removal to clean the project site for the anticipated work. This is not a very glamorous position, but it is by far the most important! If this team does not have an adequate number of volunteers it will delay the rest of the project.
Desired Skills: Good attitude and attention to detail. Often the Prep Team might be on the job site at the same time as the Landscape Teams or Construction Teams, so a good undestanding of partnership and sharing space and tools is important.

Construction Team

One of the more popular and visible volunteer positions, Construction Teams will be performing all the building tasks such as replacing siding, building stairs and wheelchair ramps, repairing guters, etc. Please note: Construction Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
Desired Skills: No experience needed, but its helpful. You must have a willingness to work with power tools, climb ladders, and spend time on scaffolding. Heavy lifting is also very likely in this position. A Keen adherence to safety procedures, attention to detail and ability to follow directions is critical.

Landscape Team

Depending on the needs of the project, this team might be involved in the preparation phase, clearing debris and trimming bushes and trees for the other teams to work unhindered. This team may also be part of the activity phase with construction of flower beds, planting and designing. Additionally this team might choose to solicit donations of garden materials to prepare flower beds or potted plants to 'beautify' a home as a gift to the homeowner. This team is the most artistic and contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the finished project.
Desired Skills: Previous knowledge or experience of plants or gardening to ensure selection and planting of appropriate plants (i.e. sun/shade, annual/ perennial, etc.) Some mild to moderate lifting is possible. Ability to spend time working on the ground or bending over. An artistic eye is helpful!

Paint Team

Painting, the focus of the ABWK program- this team will handle the bulk of the projects turnover, but it is extremely dependant on the other teams to be successful. Paint Team members will handle priming, painting, and trimming out the home, garage and fence, etc. This will also include any staining and polyurethane work to be completes on porches, decks and fences. If it involves a paint brush, this team is responsible.
Desired Skills: No previous experience required, but a careful mindset placing safety, cleanliness and careful practices first is key. This team has the greatest potential for turning the project into a disaster, so a profound sense of responsibility and dedication is mandatory. This work will also likely involve ladders and scaffolding.

Fuel Team

The unsung heroes of volunteer work projects! This team is responsible for ensuring the other teams have the sustenance they need to keep up the good work. In short, this team coordinates, provides, and serves food, snacks, and bottled water during project days, training meetings and special events. This team may solicit donated items from stores, coordinate community groups such as church organizations, girl/ boy scouts, etc. to provide meals or bottled water, or tema members themselves may prepare and provide items. Additionally, this team will be working with the homeowner to prepare and serve food, as this is part of the homeower's Sweat Equity. Fuel Team members may need to provide groceries and assist the homeowner in these preparations.
Desired Skills: Tasty food is always preferred, so the ability to cook is helpful. Ability to transport food, solicit donations, retain receipts and keep financial records, willingness to come and go from the job site, willingness to assist at informational meetings and special events outside of the job site, ability to partner with other organizations, and willingness to partner and assist the homeowner are all necessary attriibutes.

Coordination Team

The Coordination Team is the business end of the project activities. Members of this team coordinate directly with the Director, with the Project Leader and are responsible for: signging in volunteers to the jobsite; signing out tools and materials; maintaining necessary paperwork and permits on the jobsite. Additionally, team members will be the point of contact for media and people inquiring about the program. They will answer questions, hand out applications, take donations, and any other reasonable business that arises on the jobsite. They will also be responsible for collecting and securing volunteer's personal belongings and cell phones when they sign in, and returning them when volunteers sign out.
Desired Skills: Excellent people and organizational skills are necessary. Ability to multi-task, answer questions and coordinate volunteers is beneficial.

Youth Team Members

CNHFH is very excited to offer Youth Volunteers the chance to take more active rolls on ABWK projects. Volunteers as young as 14 can participate on the job site helping on all Activity Teams except Construction. Volunteers younger than 16 are not permitted on ladders and scaffolding, and volunteers must be older than 18 to handle any powertools. But there are plenty of jobs for young people to help on and Youth are particularly encouraged to volunteer.
Plus it looks GREAT on college applications!

Up for Some
Friendly Competition?

Get your friends, School Class, Business, Church Group, Club or Community organization to tackle a project and see which team does it the Best and Fastest!

CNHFH will even provide the winning team with certificates, cause its all about the bragging rights...
ok, we all know its really about helping members of your community, but the bragging rights are fun too.

*Volunteer Today!!* Central Nebraska Habitat for Humanity is very proud to announce that our new *A Brush with Kindness* program has begun! CNHFH is looking for enthusiastic, caring volunteers to participate on our Weekend Projects. Read below for all the different ways you can participate then download the ABWK Volunteer Manual and complete the forms and Volunteer waiver. If you have questions, please contact Kathleen at 308-289-9447, or email us.
Project Leaders Given the short duration and simplified nature of the ABWK projects, the typical multi-committee approach to working with a homeowner gets confused and creates a lot of overlap. Instead, for the ABWK projects, one volunteer Project Leader will agree to a project at the beginning and follow it through to completion- almost as the Chief or Foreman of that particular project. This person will be involved from the very beginning, participating with the Assessment team in the planning, measuring, materials requests, etc. and then go on to direct activities during the project completion. The Project Leader is expected to be available for the duration of the project by phone to answer questions, help coordinate volunteers and to instruct the CNHFH Director of the project’s needs. During the actual activity phase, the Project Leader will need to be onsite at all times that volunteers are onsite working, or have made prior arrangements with the Director. Desired Skills: Some construction experience or knowledge of building materials and procedures. Willingness to lead and instruct. Ability to coordinate and assign volunteers to different tasks on the job site	Team Leaders For each of the following activity teams, a Team Leader will be assigned to monitor and coordinate the team's efforts. The Team Leader is expected to be onsite at all times when their team is scheduled to work. They are to help coordinate volunteers, work with the Project Leader to ensure that the projects goals are being met, to ensure that safety procedures are being followed, to reassign volunteers that have completed tasks, and to oversee the clean up of their work at the end of the team's scheduled time. Desired Skills: Prior experience or knowledge in the area of work they are leading. Ability and willingness to lead, instruct, and assign duties. Attention to detail, safety procedures, and clean up work is essential.	First Aiders A First Aider can be any member of any team that has knowledge of First Aid/ EMS/ Medical. First Aiders will only be asked to perform in this role in the event of injury or accident on the job site. Otherwise this person will work with their chosen volunteer team. One First Aider will be assigned to each shift during actiivity on the job site. Therefore this position can be filled by multiple people throughout the course of the project. Additionally, First Aiders may be asked to assist in the delivery of safety instructions and monitoring the First Aid/ Medical station at the job site. Desired Skills: Knowledge of First Aid/ EMS skills or training. Ideally, prior knowledge of workplace accident/ emergency response procedures. Willingness to work with the Director and Project Leaders to ensure all First Aid and safety policies and procedures are adhered to.
Prep Team This team of people will be responsible for preparing the job site for the repair work. Prep teams will handle things such as washing, scraping, sanding, and caulking windows and doors. This position might also include minor debris removal to clean the project site for the anticipated work. This is not a very glamorous position, but it is by far the most important! If this team does not have an adequate number of volunteers it will delay the rest of the project. Desired Skills: Good attitude and attention to detail. Often the Prep Team might be on the job site at the same time as the Landscape Teams or Construction Teams, so a good undestanding of partnership and sharing space and tools is important.	Construction Team One of the more popular and visible volunteer positions, Construction Teams will be performing all the building tasks such as replacing siding, building stairs and wheelchair ramps, repairing guters, etc. Please note: Construction Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Desired Skills: No experience needed, but its helpful. You must have a willingness to work with power tools, climb ladders, and spend time on scaffolding. Heavy lifting is also very likely in this position. A Keen adherence to safety procedures, attention to detail and ability to follow directions is critical.	Landscape Team Depending on the needs of the project, this team might be involved in the preparation phase, clearing debris and trimming bushes and trees for the other teams to work unhindered. This team may also be part of the activity phase with construction of flower beds, planting and designing. Additionally this team might choose to solicit donations of garden materials to prepare flower beds or potted plants to 'beautify' a home as a gift to the homeowner. This team is the most artistic and contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the finished project. Desired Skills: Previous knowledge or experience of plants or gardening to ensure selection and planting of appropriate plants (i.e. sun/shade, annual/ perennial, etc.) Some mild to moderate lifting is possible. Ability to spend time working on the ground or bending over. An artistic eye is helpful!
Paint Team Painting, the focus of the ABWK program- this team will handle the bulk of the projects turnover, but it is extremely dependant on the other teams to be successful. Paint Team members will handle priming, painting, and trimming out the home, garage and fence, etc. This will also include any staining and polyurethane work to be completes on porches, decks and fences. If it involves a paint brush, this team is responsible. Desired Skills: No previous experience required, but a careful mindset placing safety, cleanliness and careful practices first is key. This team has the greatest potential for turning the project into a disaster, so a profound sense of responsibility and dedication is mandatory. This work will also likely involve ladders and scaffolding.	Fuel Team The unsung heroes of volunteer work projects! This team is responsible for ensuring the other teams have the sustenance they need to keep up the good work. In short, this team coordinates, provides, and serves food, snacks, and bottled water during project days, training meetings and special events. This team may solicit donated items from stores, coordinate community groups such as church organizations, girl/ boy scouts, etc. to provide meals or bottled water, or tema members themselves may prepare and provide items. Additionally, this team will be working with the homeowner to prepare and serve food, as this is part of the homeower's Sweat Equity. Fuel Team members may need to provide groceries and assist the homeowner in these preparations. Desired Skills: Tasty food is always preferred, so the ability to cook is helpful. Ability to transport food, solicit donations, retain receipts and keep financial records, willingness to come and go from the job site, willingness to assist at informational meetings and special events outside of the job site, ability to partner with other organizations, and willingness to partner and assist the homeowner are all necessary attriibutes.	Coordination Team The Coordination Team is the business end of the project activities. Members of this team coordinate directly with the Director, with the Project Leader and are responsible for: signging in volunteers to the jobsite; signing out tools and materials; maintaining necessary paperwork and permits on the jobsite. Additionally, team members will be the point of contact for media and people inquiring about the program. They will answer questions, hand out applications, take donations, and any other reasonable business that arises on the jobsite. They will also be responsible for collecting and securing volunteer's personal belongings and cell phones when they sign in, and returning them when volunteers sign out. Desired Skills: Excellent people and organizational skills are necessary. Ability to multi-task, answer questions and coordinate volunteers is beneficial.
	Youth Team Members CNHFH is very excited to offer Youth Volunteers the chance to take more active rolls on ABWK projects. Volunteers as young as 14 can participate on the job site helping on all Activity Teams except Construction. Volunteers younger than 16 are not permitted on ladders and scaffolding, and volunteers must be older than 18 to handle any powertools. But there are plenty of jobs for young people to help on and Youth are particularly encouraged to volunteer. Plus it looks GREAT on college applications!	Up for Some Friendly Competition? Get your friends, School Class, Business, Church Group, Club or Community organization to tackle a project and see which team does it the Best and Fastest! CNHFH will even provide the winning team with certificates, cause its all about the bragging rights... ok, we all know its really about helping members of your community, but the bragging rights are fun too.