Where are you currently building? We are currently building in the cities of Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville (east of St. John’s Bluff).
When do you build? We build Tuesday through Friday from 8 am – 4 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 12 pm. Volunteers have the option of working a half day or a full day, depending on your availability.
Do I have to sign up for a volunteer opportunity or can I just show up? We require all volunteers to sign up for volunteer opportunities through VolunteerUp.
I registered with VolunteerUp. Now what? After you have created an account in VolunteerUp, you can sign up for build days on our volunteer calendar. For more information, like the available times and directions to the construction site, click “View Details.”
Why do you need all my personal information before I can volunteer? We collect information about our volunteers for a number of reasons. We ask for your contact information so we can keep you up to date on our programs. If there are changes to the build schedule, upcoming events where volunteers are needed, or other items of interest, we need to know how to contact you so we can make sure you are informed. Much of the other information is needed so we can make accurate reports about our volunteers to Habitat International or to funding sources. For example, we receive funding as part of an initiative to engage Baby Boomers in our programs. By providing your date of birth, we can identify whether or not you are part of that generation. In short, the information you provide helps us to continue running successful programs.
Do I have to attend an orientation before volunteering? We do not require a separate off-site orientation prior to volunteering. The Volunteer Coordinator and Construction Manager conduct an on-site orientation at the beginning of each day on the construction site. It is important that you arrive on time to participate in the orientation!
Can I work with you to serve hours for probation, court-ordered community service, plea agreements, etc? Maybe. From the Volunteer Page on our website, follow the link for Community Service Volunteers. You can check the list to see if your offense is listed as acceptable for participation in our program. If it is, please review the expectations for completing your service and contact the Volunteer Coordinator to confirm that you can complete your hours with Beaches Habitat.
Do I need to bring my own tools or other equipment? Beaches Habitat has all the tools and equipment that you’ll need on site. You are welcome to bring your own tools if you have them. Items that we recommend are: hard hat, work gloves, hammer, utility knife, tape measure, etc. Please be sure that all of your personal items are labeled with your name. Beaches Habitat is not responsible for lost or damaged personal items.
Do you provide water and lunch for me when I come to build? We ask that you bring your own water bottle and lunch to the build site. Beaches Habitat does have water jugs for volunteers to refill their water bottles throughout the day.
Do you have age restrictions? Yes. Safety standards require that volunteers be 16 or older on construction sites. Volunteers aged 16 or 17 must have a Waiver of Liability Form completed by a parent or legal guardian.
What should I wear? We recommend that you wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty. Paints, adhesives and other materials that you may be asked to use can stain your clothing! It is very important that you dress properly for the weather – layered clothing in the winter, light weight clothing in the summer. Absolutely no open-toe shoes or sandals are allowed on the construction site. More dress code information is available in VolunteerUp.
How do I get my congregation, community group or other organization involved? If you have a group of over 5 volunteers, please review the information on our Group Volunteers page or contact the Volunteer Coordinator for assistance. For smaller groups, just have everyone sign up individually on VolunteerUP.
If I register for HabiJax, do I have to also register with Beaches Habitat? Yes. While Beaches Habitat and HabiJax (Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville) are both affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, we are each an independently run non-profit organization. We have separate service areas and coordinate all aspects of Habitat home building within that local area—fund-raising; building site selection; partner family selection and support; house construction; and mortgage servicing.
What do I do if the weather is bad? If the weather is bad, call the Beaches Habitat office. While some conditions will limit our activity, we often have work that can be done indoors. If we decide to close the construction site for the day, we will notify our volunteers by 7:30am.
Will I meet the person who will be moving into the home I’m building? You might. All of our partner families are required to volunteer with Beaches Habitat in order to become homeowners. Beaches Habitat makes an effort to identify partner families when they are volunteering. We encourage volunteers to introduce themselves to the partner families and learn more about them while you work together.
How are families selected for home ownership? A volunteer Family Selection Committee reviews applicants and follows a non-discriminatory selection process based on level of need, ability to repay the loan and willingness to partner with Habitat.
How is home construction paid for? It costs roughly $75,000 (excluding land and infrastructure) to build a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom Beaches Habitat home. Habitat purchases materials with donations from individuals, churches, businesses and civic organizations. No government funds are accepted for the construction of homes. We do receive some government funding to help purchase land and pay for infrastructure. In addition, all homeowner mortgage payments are placed in a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more homes each year.
I want to volunteer but I can’t work on the construction site. How else can I help? Beaches Habitat needs more of what everyone needs – money and time. We always appreciate monetary donations in any form (one-time, estate planning, etc.), as well as donations of land or materials. You can also volunteer your time on a committee (family selection for example) or in the office. Getting the word out about Beaches Habitat in our community is also helpful. Your involvement can make a difference!
