• Volunteers are the heart of our organization

Volunteer with Us

Volunteers are the heart of our organization and support every aspect of our work. In 2019, 2,311 volunteers contributed 70,061 hours of service, helping us to carry out our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Whether sorting donations in the ReStore, hammering nails on the construction site, assisting families in the administrative office, or serving on our Community Engagement Committee, we hope you’ll find the volunteer opportunity that is right for you!

Home Repair Builders Challenge

March 2 – April 17

Do you work in the local home building industry? Ready for a friendly challenge to help community members in need? Gather 2-4 coworkers to spend a day volunteering with our Home Repair team and make critical repairs so low-income residents can live safely and with dignity in their homes and communities. Each group’s hours will be tracked and at the end of the challenge the group with the most will get a prize.

Learn more here. To ask questions and schedule your group, contact Cecily Schenimann at 828-407-4486 or cschenimann@ashevillehabitat.org.

Volunteer with our Construction Team

Construction Volunteer Opportunities for Individuals

Are you looking for a meaningful volunteer opportunity that involves working with a team, being active, learning new skills and requires NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE? Volunteer alongside our experienced construction staff to help us build and repair homes. Full day shifts (8:30-3:30) are available year round, Monday – Saturday. Visit our volunteer calendar to sign-up today!

Construction Volunteer Opportunities for Groups

Do you have a motivated group of friends who want to make a difference? Are you interested in a team-building activity for your employees? We welcome groups year-round on our jobsite, Monday – Saturday. Some opportunities do require sponsorship, while others do not. To inquire about corporate or church sponsorship, please email Beth Russo or call 828-407-4487. Keep in mind, the calendar can fill up months in advance, so book early! To begin the scheduling process, please email Stephanie Wallace or call 828-210-9383.

For additional information about volunteering on the AAHH construction site contact Stephanie.

Download a Volunteer Waiver.

Click here to download a Minor Volunteer Waiver.

Typical Day on the Job

Each day on the jobsite will begin with a safety talk and demonstration on the tasks to be completed that day. The site supervisors want you to feel comfortable asking questions and will work to meet your comfort level.

Depending on the stage of new construction, volunteers can expect to: frame floors and walls, set trusses and raise roof ladders, build porches, install windows and doors, paint and stain, install cabinets, trim and flooring, stucco, landscape.

As a Home Repair volunteer, your tasks may include exterior painting, landscaping, building handicap-accessible ramps, and more.

Volunteer with our Home Repair Team

Are you interested in a unique and critical volunteer position with Asheville Habitat?

We are forming a small team of Core Home Repair Volunteers — a group of folks that can make a weekly or bi-weekly commitment to a specific day of the week. We’d love to have you join us! Please read below and then email Stephanie if you would like to give volunteering with Home Repair a try.

Home Repair volunteers help with a myriad of projects ranging from simply one-day jobs to week-long endeavors. Work include building ramps, installing grab bars and showers, replacing or repairing siding and flooring, building or rebuilding decks and stairs, painting/staining exteriors, and more.They work on existing homes in the community, to help low-income homeowners, often the elderly, be able to live longer and more safely in their homes. We have completed more than 270 repair jobs since 2010, and nearly 75% of the families we serve annually are served through this program.

Home Repair might be a great volunteer opportunity for you if you:

  • Enjoy a challenge and can adapt to a variety of environments and projects
  • Enjoy problem solving
  • Like interacting with homeowners and are comfortable working in occupied homes
  • Can work well on a small team of two to four people
  • Are interested in learning new skills

As a Home Repair Volunteer you will:

  • See the immediate impact of your work in your community
  • Help enable people to age in place with accessibility upgrades
  • Learn a variety of repair skills that can be used on your own home
  • Visit parts of Asheville and Buncombe County that you might otherwise never visit

Can’t make an ongoing commitment? No worries, we would still value your contributions as a single-day volunteer. Sign up for an upcoming opportunity.

Volunteer at the ReStore

The Asheville Habitat ReStore utilizes more than 140 volunteers each week! These volunteers keep the store running smoothly and support Habitat in providing a quality experience for our customers.

Proceeds from the ReStore help cover Asheville Area Habitat’s administrative and fundraising expenses and provide funding for our building programs. This means volunteers are vital to ensure the ReStore remains a sustainable source of funding, allowing us to continue to serve more families in our community. Take a look at the information on the right to learn how you can get involved!

Learn More

Travel and Build

Ethiopia

DATE: February 15-23, 2020

LOCATION: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

NOTE: THIS TRIP IS NOW FULL. TO BE ADDED TO THE WAIT LIST, PLEASE EMAIL MELISSA.

Join seasoned trip leader Melissa Banks on a Habitat Global Village build in Ethiopia in February 2020! Volunteers will help families construct houses, communal toilets and communal kitchens. Typical volunteer tasks include mixing sand and cement, moving materials, laying concrete blocks, setting concrete slabs and more.

“For me the best GV experience is at the end of the build when I stand next to the partner family at their house dedication. I know that this is an experience I want to have over and over again by committing myself to serving others,” shared Melissa. “Now I build with Asheville Area Habitat every week and build with a GV team each year.”
Please read below for pertinent trip info and register today!
 

The program donation for this trip is US$1,896; airfare, Visas and entry/exit fees NOT included. The cost is tax-deductible in most cases. About half the cost covers your expenses while in Ethiopia and half is a donation to Habitat for Humanity International and a direct donation to Habitat Ethiopia. These donations allow Habitat for Humanity’s work to bring strength, stability and self-reliance to homeowners across the globe.

All payments for the trip should be made through Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. There will be an option to pay on the Habitat International website when signing up– but do not do this. We need all payments to be made to us in order to receive a tithe credit for the organization. If you have any questions about payment, please contact Melissa.

A check is the preferred method of payment. Make checks out (and mail to) Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Write Ethiopia GV in the memo line. We can process credit card payments, but please note that we will need to charge an additional 2.5% to partially cover the cost applied by the credit card company.

We will require a non-refundable $250 deposit to ensure your slot on the team. Team size is limited so this should be made at the same time or shortly after signing up online to guarantee your place. If the balance of the payment has not been received by the due date, December 15, 2019, the spot will be offered to the first person on the wait list. Asheville Habitat will provide a form for the tax deductible portion of the program cost. Due date: The trip cost is due December 15, 2019.

To confirm that you’ll join this team, register online. Enter our team’s code: GVA20108. Please also email Melissa to let her know you’re joining the trip.

Have questions? Email Melissa or check out these GV volunteer resources.

Come Build with Us in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Do you have a group of volunteers looking for a week-long trip that provides meaningful work and the opportunity to engage with the local community? Are you interested in working hard and providing an empowering experience for your group? If so, come build with us!

In Asheville you will build affordable homes alongside passionate volunteers, future homeowners, and knowledgable staff. In your spare time, you’ll enjoy all that makes the Land of the Sky so special.

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 Your trip fee will cover:
  • All building costs during your visit
  • Hands-on training and supervision from expert construction team
  • Basic accommodations in a cabin or retreat center
  • Welcome orientation and dinner with a Habitat homeowner

To learn more and reserve your group contact Stephanie Wallace at
828-210-9383 or swallace@ashevillehabitat.org.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

When people think of volunteering with Habitat, often they think a hammer will be involved; but that’s not always the case. We also utilize volunteers throughout the organization including the administrative office. Office Volunteers can expect to perform a variety of office related tasks such as greeting visitors, answering phones, data entry, making phone calls, filing documents and helping with mailings.  There are also sometimes positions available on standing committees and for one-time events.

We are currently seeking office volunteers for regular weekly shifts. If you’re interested in supporting Habitat with your clerical skills, please contact Deanna McDonnell at 828-407-4388 or dmcdonnell@ashevillehabitat.org.

Would you like to help educate the community about Habitat?

We are seeking articulate, outgoing individuals with the ability to inspire others to help educate the community about Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Opportunities include participating in speaking engagements, attending church services with homeowner families, making presentations to interested groups, tabling at event and fairs, and distributing information/collateral throughout the community.

Click the links below for additional details:

If you are passionate about Habitat for Humanity and would like to help ensure more people to know about our programs and services, please consider this volunteer opportunity. Just complete this Interest Form, or call 828-210-9361 with questions. Thank you!