How many Vigilant employees does it take to build a house?
by Adelaide Z | October 13, 2010Habitat for Humanity is one of the most popular volunteer activities among Vigilant employees. A few days ago, 12 of us headed out to the current Montreal build site to lend our expertise on the project. We volunteered our time at the same site in 2009, but that time we helped put in rebar in the foundation-building stage. One year later, we’re helping with the finishing touches of a brand new, affordable home for a much-deserving Montreal family.We were divided into teams, each tackling different projects. Some of us have a highly-developed ‘Do-It-Yourself’ skill-set, while others, like me, are DIY-ers in the making…
The newbies got to work on painting baseboards, window and door frames, while the veterans fixed leaks and put in hardwood floors much to the delight of the Habitat project manager. By the end of the day, they were experts at using a table saw, miter saw, and pneumatic nail gun.
I was lucky enough to attend the key-giving ceremony for the completed unit a few weeks ago and met the family who will soon move into their new home. It was even better to be able to give back by getting my hands dirty - albeit with paint and not sawdust - and really feeling like I had contributed to something worthwhile.