HABITAT FOR HUMANITY We had 3 build days available for Samtec Associates to volunteer; Thursday, August 11 through Saturday, August 13. Many Associates volunteered and we asked one Associate each day about their experience. Pat McWilliams, an engineer, volunteered on Thursday. Isaac Wernert, a controls engineer, volunteered on Friday. And Kalynn Hentrup, an inventory clerk, volunteered on Saturday. Their responses are below.
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Why did you volunteer for Habitat for Humanity? Pat: We signed up to try to give back to the community. Isaac: I signed up to help a great cause and be part of something greater than me. Kalynn: I signed up for habitat humanity because I’ve always been a person that likes to do what I can to help others I usually give blood at our blood drives Samtec hosts. I’m not able to contribute a lot of money to the community at this point in my life but small things make a big difference. I also was interested to see if I could learn any technical skills as I’ve never done any carpentry or built anything. I thought it would be cool to help build a house.
Do you think previous construction experience is necessary to contribute as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity? Pat: No, previous experience is not needed. It does help if someone on the team has some experience to help move the work along more quickly but the contractors help as much as you need and explain how to do the work that is required. Isaac: Absolutely not. I grew up in the building industry so I started at a very young age when I couldn’t do a lot. There is always a way for anyone to contribute no matter your skill level; carrying boards, cleaning up, getting tools or nails for someone, etc. Whatever you comfort level is, there’s no shortage of ways to help. Kalynn: Absolutely not, like anything it would be an advantage and put you ahead of the game but they are super patient and willing to teach you everything. They’re very skilled at what they do and demonstrate/teach very well.
How did the professional contractors on-site explain how to safely complete the tasks at hand? Pat: They did a great job and also let you do as much as you want but did not push you to do more than you were comfortable doing. Isaac: The onsite professionals were great people and awesome to work with. They gave you as much responsibility as you were comfortable with and would show/demonstrate what needed to be done. If you needed help or further instruction they patiently provided whatever you needed. Kalynn: They worked alongside us, showing us how to perform a task, asking us to help them do/complete a certain task. We all worked together and it felt like a team effort. No one felt like they were pressured in to doing too much work. It felt like we all worked together to accomplish the tasks quickly and it was awesome to see how much we got done in the small time period.
Would you recommend other Samtec Associates sign-up to volunteer for upcoming HFH build days? Pat: I would recommend this, for sure. It is a very rewarding experience and it is also a good opportunity for possible family building time! Bring your wife or kids with you it will be a memory you guys will never forget. Isaac: Yes, you will be glad you did. People like Donna and her daughter will be forever grateful for the time and effort that’s put into these projects. Kalynn: Yes because it gives a sense of fulfillment by helping others and seeing the difference you can make. Just from the small group that volunteered Saturday, we accomplished so much. With a few extra hands I can’t imagine how much work we could get done in just a short six hours! The time really does fly by and it doesn’t feel like work which I know a lot of people are afraid of.
