Habitat AmeriCorps profile: Dylan Cahir
“My time in AmeriCorps has really reinforced that helping people is what I want to be doing,” Dylan Cahir says.
Dylan’s AmeriCorps service was with Habitat for Humanity of Nassau County, New York as a construction crew leader. He helped build three houses and says he was able to see the entire process, start to finish, right up to the dedication of the home.
“That’s definitely the most rewarding part,” he says. “The dedication ceremonies are the culmination of the entire Habitat mission. It shows that we’ve built a home, we built a family, and we build community.”
In addition to working alongside future homeowners, Dylan also learned about the varied aspects of Habitat’s work. “I was definitely doing a little bit of everything,” he says. “I really got outside my comfort zone every day.”
“It’s one of the most fulfilling ways you can spend your first year out of college.”— Dylan Cahir, Habitat AmeriCorps member
Where Dylan did find a great deal of comfort was during his trip to Wake County, North Carolina, to participate in Habitat’s 2016 AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon.
“I was looking forward to that from my first day in AmeriCorps,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a great time. You really get to see, in a week, how much impact 100 people can have.”
The 23-year-old plans to build on these experiences as he heads into a new opportunity to serve another community. “I’m leaving for the Peace Corps,” he reveals. “I’ll be in Morocco, and my project is youth development.”
The 2015 Hofstra University graduate says his year with Habitat AmeriCorps came at a great time in his life. “It’s one of the most fulfilling ways you can spend your first year out of college.”