Seaman Roland Guiterrez works a jackhammer to loosen dirt. USNA photo by MCSN Michael Croft.
Even one day of framing a wall or working a shovel can make the community a better place. On March 14 and 15, 18 Sailors from the Naval Academy took a trip to south Baltimore to work with Arundel Habitat for Humanity.
Arundel Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer-driven organization that builds simple, decent homes and sells them interest-free to families in need throughout Anne Arundel County. With a small staff, Arundel Habitat for Humanity depends heavily upon volunteers for support.
Working with the Habitat for Humanity crew, Naval Academy Sailors helped tear up a concrete floor in the basement of one of the project homes and installed a steel handrail for a set of stairs in the back yard of another project home.
''It was eight hours of hard work but it was worth it. I always wanted to get involved with community service and this is a really cool way,'' said Seaman Dennis Rivera, assigned to Waterfront Readiness. ''You know that, because of your work, people can now live in a home and enjoy what you have done for them.''
No construction experience is required to volunteer, and according to Arundel Habitat, more than 80% of the volunteers they get have never done a day of construction in their life.
''[Arundel Habitat] provides whatever training we might need, right down to how to hold a hammer and how to hit the end of a nail,'' said Quartermaster 1st Class (SW) Carlos Lobo, a Craftmaster assigned to Waterfront Readiness.
''I volunteered for the Habitat for Humanity when I was stationed in Florida,'' said Operations Specialist 1st Class (SW⁄AW) Jason W. Rebholz, who works in the Academy’s Seamanship and Navigation department. ''I really enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to get involved in it here in Annapolis.''
''Usually those involved have a great time working on the house and return to base with the knowledge that they did a good job for a valuable cause,'' said Toni Cain, Arundel Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Coordinator. ''Without our volunteers we would not exist.''
Since Habitat for Humanity’s 1976 inception, the organization has helped build more than 200,000 homes worldwide.
If you are interested in volunteering with the Arundel Habitat for Humanity, contact Lobo at 305-528-2928.
E-Mail This Article
Print This Story