Robin found himself on a Habitat jobsite the year after he retired. Like so many other core volunteers, he found a new social group at Habitat. He is part of the Thursday core crew, largely because that’s the day of the week that he first volunteered.
Volunteerism with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity experienced a spike in 2025 on the heels of Hurricane Helene. A significant increase in out-of-town groups contributed, as did an increase in the number of local Home Repair core volunteers committing to helping repair homes every week. Nearly 2,700 individual volunteers collectively contributed more than 84,000 hours of service. The value of that donated time? According to Independent Sector, which values volunteer time at $34.79/hour, that level of service represents nearly $3M!
Core volunteers (weekly or bi-weekly) are foundational to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Their commitment to service has helped thousands of adults and children secure safe, stable and affordable homes, and enabled hundreds of aging adults to remain in their homes. Throughout National Volunteer Appreciation Week, staff will be visiting all volunteer sites, delivering special treats and appreciations to thank volunteers for their service.
“At Habitat, our work builds and rebuilds homes—but it also builds and rebuilds community and hope. Our volunteers open doors to stability for a family, to connection between neighbors, and to a deeper sense of purpose for those who serve. Together, we can build something bigger than any of us could do alone,” shared Andy Barnett, CEO of Asheville Habitat.
Eleven core volunteers reached noteworthy service milestones:
In addition to celebrating years of service, Asheville Habitat also recognizes annual hours of service. Many volunteers individually contribute hundreds and hundreds of hours each year. In 2025, these volunteers earned the Top 5 Hours:
What keeps them coming back, week after week and year after year? Overwhelmingly, it is a desire to support Habitat’s mission, enjoying camaraderie with fellow volunteers, and feeling a sense of meaning and fulfilment.
Construction Services core volunteer, Robin Smith offered, “You retire from a job, you don’t retire from the need for meaning, purpose, and joy. You find that at Habitat.”
Some fun facts about Asheville Habitat’s volunteer program:
Converging in Asheville from North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Oakland, and Atlanta, Cisco’s Crisis Response Team bonded in a meaningful way. Some knew each other, others were meeting for the first time and becoming fast friends.
At Habitat, we see this community come together to put love into action every day. In 2024 alone, more than 43,500 hours of service was provided by 1,341 individuals. We’re celebrating them during National Volunteer Appreciation Week.
Core volunteers (weekly or bi-weekly) are foundational to Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Their commitment to service has helped bring thousands of adults and children home since 1983. What keeps them coming back, week after week and year after year? Overwhelmingly, it is a commitment to Habitat’s mission, the camaraderie of fellow volunteers, a sense of purpose, and fulfilling, feel-good work.
Volunteer duo Tricia and Charlie Franck (pictured R) were recently recognized for their extensive commitment to volunteer service with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. At the August 15th Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Meeting, the Francks received the Governor’s Medallion Award for Volunteer Service.
Hundreds of Asheville Habitat volunteers were celebrated and thanked at Highland Brewing on April 20th during a National Volunteer Appreciation Week event.
We are currently building New Heights, our most ambitious neighborhood to-date, and community volunteers are invited to help build. Take an active role in ensuring everyone has an affordable place to call home by learning new skills or honing existing ones while working alongside community-minded people and future Habitat homeowners.
Asheville Habitat has been bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope for nearly four decades. The reasons people donate their time and talent to Asheville Habitat are as varied as the volunteer themselves. Those who so enjoyed volunteering once on the Women Build House that they keep coming back every week. Those that spent decades in a corporate boardroom and simply want to do something totally different in retirement. Those that work for a company that sponsors Asheville Habitat and therefore have the opportunity to participate in an employee build day. Those that are in high school and learning about our region’s affordable housing crisis. Those putting faith into action by working on a house their church sponsors. How people come to volunteer with Asheville Habitat is wide-ranging. Why they continue to volunteer is the same: Comradery. Meeting the families. Fulfillment. Fun. Making a difference. Feeling part of something bigger.
If you are ready to be the change you want to see in the world, learn more and sign up now or call 828.251.5702. “Volunteers are truly an extension of our staff,” shares Construction Services Volunteer Manager Stephanie Wallace. “We offer year-round opportunities for those age 16+. It’s hard work, but very rewarding. Stepping back at the end of the day, you can SEE the difference you’ve made and feel proud about it.”
If construction isn’t your cup of tea, contact Carrie at 828.210.9381 or cburgin@ashevillehabitat.org to learn about volunteer opportunities in the Asheville and Weaverville ReStores. Proceeds from ReStore sales support Habitat’s building programs, so your volunteer efforts there directly support affordable housing, too. Volunteer positions include customer service, such as running the cash register and providing sales support on the floor; intake and receiving; sorting and processing donations; testing and repairing appliances; and other fun opportunities. Learn more and sign up today!
By Ariane Kjellquist
695. That’s how many pieces of specific-length re-bar Kaya Johnson cut with fellow volunteer Sue Koesters on her first Global Village Trip to Guatemala this past April. With a smile on her face the high school sophomore was quick to point out that they laughed and joked with each other all day, so despite the hard work, “it really was a lot of fun!”
By Jeff Paul
Owning a home is a BIG deal. And purchasing that home can be a stressful and confusing process. Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s Homebuyer Education program seeks to demystify the process and empower families to become successful homeowners. As part of required sweat equity, future homeowners spend close to 50 hours in the classroom learning about home maintenance, predatory lending, real estate closing documents and procedures, community resources and much more. One of the highlights of this program is the opportunity for each family to meet with local estate planning attorney, Brattan Gelder (pictured above).
Brattan has been volunteering with Asheville Habitat since 2011. Several times a year, he meets with the Homebuyer Education class to discuss the basics of estate planning. He carefully reviews the terminology, talks about the importance of having such a plan in place, and fields questions from families. Additionally, Brattan generously offers to each new homeowner (pro-bono) the opportunity to meet one-on-one to establish a personal estate plan. Contrary to popular belief, estate planning is not only for the wealthy. With complicated laws related to passing property and possessions to relatives, everyone can benefit from having an estate plan, especially homeowners.
As Astrid Andre reported in Shelterforce, “Since the least wealthy Americans have a larger share of their wealth tied to their homes and would be most impacted by home losses, enacting measures to mitigate such losses may have greater effect in preserving and maintaining wealth in these communities. Proactive measures like estate planning—placing safeguards during and after the lifetime of an owner, such as creating wills and trusts—can be a helpful tool for the preservation and transfer of real estate assets in some low- to moderate-income and minority communities.”
One new Habitat homeowner commented, “It meant a great deal for Brattan to help me with my estate planning. He has given me a sense of security to know that I have a plan put in place. I am now confident that my loved ones will have less worry with this plan. An estate plan is something not everyone thinks about or has, so I feel very fortunate to have one.”
In 2016, Brattan expanded his engagement with AAHH by joining the Board of Directors and most recently, he joined Habitat’s Homeowner Selection Committee. When asked what motivates him to volunteer with Habitat, he offered the following:
“There are several characteristics of Habitat that distinguish it in my mind from other charitable organizations. My favorite thing about Habitat is that Habitat doesn’t simply give anything to anyone. Future homeowners don’t receive gifts; they earn everything. Habitat identifies worthy partners who make lifelong commitments to themselves, their families, and their communities. Through hard work and cooperation, people from disparate backgrounds bond together to form strong neighborhoods and broader communities. The assistance that Habitat provides enables hard-working, honest people to live and work in a supportive environment, where their talents and skills can flourish. That stability allows Habitat partners to make a beneficial contribution to their communities. Habitat homeowners work diligently to make a better life for their families. In turn, a strong work ethic and determination are imparted to the next generation, who will recognize the value of working hard and giving back. Simply stated, I don’t know of any other organization that makes such a meaningful impact in the long-term well-being of the community. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Thank you, Brattan for sharing your time and expertise to help families build – and secure – a better future!
61 Weaver Blvd. Weaverville, NC 28787
828-484-9432
Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday
10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
GET DIRECTIONS
