“A way to give back”

Some Habitat for Humanity volunteers wield a different set of tools.

While her husband, John, oversees the tool truck and helps build, Jo Flowers buzzes about a Southern Crescent Habitat construction site, making sure that volunteers get plenty to eat and drink and checking to make sure they have on sunscreen and bug spray.

Jo would like to do construction, too, but a hand injury prevents that. Still, she was determined to contribute to Southern Crescent Habitat, after they helped her and John with repairs to their home.

Jo likes getting to know the volunteers, especially the high school and college students. “I can’t do a lot of stuff, but I can get out there and let them know how valuable their time is to us, even if it is only for a few hours,” she says.

She also likes getting to know the families that partner with Habitat to build and purchase their home. She and John go to almost every home dedication.

Volunteering is a two-way street, Jo says. “John and I have found a purpose and a way to give back. It is really unbelievable how good I actually feel when I volunteer, that I am helping someone live a life that they wanted to live but didn’t think they were going to accomplish.”