A Habitat family helping other families

Editors’ note: Steven watched his mother work alongside volunteers to build their home with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County in 2010.

Now a junior at California State University San Marcos, Steven builds with Habitat, too. He first volunteered while in high school, has traveled on several of Habitat’s Learn and Build Experience volunteer trips, and served as a junior counselor on his most recent build trip to Des Moines, Iowa, where the focus was on home repairs and neighborhood revitalization.

My old house was definitely not in the best neighborhood. I remember my mom wouldn’t let us go outside past the grass because it was such a bad neighborhood.

She was really pleased that this was a safe neighborhood where we all know each other and can walk freely, to live our lives like we should.

I’ve always felt the need to give back as much as I can to other families just like us.

I went on my first build trip during the summer of 2013 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My mom found it on the Internet and asked, “Hey, do you want to do this? It’s a Learn and Build for high schoolers where they go out and do construction work for Habitat.”

It was an eye-opener for me. It showed me how families come from some of the worst scenarios to get the opportunity to own these houses that they call their own. To see those kids move into those houses, into their rooms, and be happy — it just felt awesome to see the smiles on their faces, as I had a smile on my face.

For me, being able to see that family get their key, open the door to their house, cut the ribbon like I did, it’s just such an amazing feeling to know I used to be that kid, and I’m doing what the volunteers did.

I remember when I did my Learn and Build trips, I saw college students being our counselors and showing us the ropes on how to do these construction sites. I thought it would be a great opportunity. My job as junior counselor is to help the participating high school students get comfortable with each other. As soon as they get comfortable with each other, they’re going to become friends. You can possibly make some great friends on these trips.

I’m really appreciative of the opportunity. It’s such an honor for me to help families. It just strengthens my views on how Habitat is such a great nonprofit organization. Sometimes people don’t even know about it. So when I mention my story to them, they’re so amazed. The story gets them involved. It shows how someone can be so grateful for these houses.

To a person who grew up in a Habitat house, it’s humbling. I don’t want people to think just because we have these houses, that we’re different from them. We are just any other person. My role is to get people to realize that. We’re just another person going to school, we’re just another person going to work, another person living their everyday life.