In addition to providing the new home owners with cleaning bundles to keep their homes clean and fresh, O-Cedar also provided products on site to help clean up houses mid build.
You might be somewhat like me and be wondering what can you do to make a difference in your community. Where can I even start and what will make a difference? I had my first volunteering experience when I was in college, my sorority volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and I vividly remember how much it meant to be to be able to paint those walls and plant the gardens, etc. Make that person’s home a true home for them. At the time I was a college student and even though it meant a lot to me at that moment, now as an adult with a family, it means so much more. I can help that family have a better life and a better home. And so can you.
Cut to 15 years later. Last Tuesday I went to the Habitat site and helped lay the foundation alongside a soon-to-be homeowner names Ashlee and her children. The other future Habitat homeowner is Amanda and she worked alongside a team to build her home as well. I partnered with O-Cedar (who sponsored build day) to help with the build day and let me just tell you… we worked our fingers to the bone and loved every moment. O-Cedar is the leader in floor care innovation and has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for their second Home is the Key Campaign in assisting with the importance of creating affordable housing in the United States for those in need of affordable housing. In addition to sending out a team to help with the building efforts, donating cleaning bundles to Ashlee and Amanda with all products needed to care for the news homes and sponsoring, between April 1- June 15, 2018, O-Cedar is contributing to the cause by donating $1 to Habitat for every ProMist® MAX Microfiber Spray Mop sold.
Just to give you a little back story on Habitat for Humanity:
It is a global nonprofit housing organization working in nearly 1,300 communities in the United States and in about 70 countries around the world. The mission of Habitat for Humanity is helping everyone have a roof over their head and building stability in families in need of an inexpensive home. “In the fiscal year of 2017, Habitat helped over 3 million people improve their living conditions, and an additional 2.6 million now have the potential to do so through Habitat’s advocacy and training efforts.” The things I love most about working with Habitat for Humanity is the fact that the families build alongside with the volunteers and they pay mortgage. One may think these individuals are gaining a free home (I was guilty of this as well) but the truth is they are working hard for these homes. They spend at least 400 hours building Habitat homes, each applicant must complete a minimum of 100 hours in addition to their regular jobs, take multiple life & financial courses among many, many other requirements.
We started the day laying the trusses one by one. Most of us had never done this before but we learned quickly. We split into two teams to lift the truss for the roof and then some inside on ladders to secure it. After we laid the trusses on the roof we secured the blue boards around the home to waterproof it. I personally went inside with Mary from O-Cedar and we conquered our fear of ladders by climbing up and securing trusses with a rat run and attaching 2×4’s to the wall frame so the dry wallers had an area to attach to. It’s one of the hardest days of work I’ve ever done (as you can see in the pictures above) but man let me tell you, it was rewarding. I put blood and sweat into it.. I mean literally, I cut off a chunk of my finger ha. I was exhausted when I got home yet I cannot wait to volunteer again.
Did you know what volunteering with your local community not only benefits your community but it can also give YOU great benefits. Like…
- It can help prolong your life. The physical aspects of volunteering are solid forms of exercise, it gives you more stamina, it can lower stress levels and also just make you feel good inside.
- It can help you learn something new. For example, I learned to lay trusses, use a nail gun and miter saw in addition to actually building multiple parts of the foundation alongside my fellow volunteers. It also gives you life skills. I feel like a true boss babe knowing how to navigate all the different task I learned. I honestly want to go back and learn how to do the bathrooms and the cabinets just so I can know for myself.
Making a Difference in Your Community – How can YOU help?
For starters you could volunteer. Volunteering in your community has a long lasting impact on your society in such a positive manner. It also increases self confidence by providing a sense of accomplishment and good deeds. You don’t have the time to volunteer due to life commitments? I get it, I truly do. It’s hard to make time for most things in life, let alone dedicate a day or more to work on a house. Luckily you can help without putting in the labor. You can donate money and most importantly you can purchase the ProMist MAX Microfiber Spray Mop from O-Cedar. Their eco-friendly mop is a top of the line, double sided mop head that flips 180° and it gives people the capability to go longer when they are cleaning. It is also machine washable (up to 100x) and the 27 oz bottle is refillable, allowing you to use your own solution to clean and save money on refill costs. You can find the ProMist MAX at Amazon, Home Depot and Walmart. I’m excited to put mine to use at home because momma loves a clean floor.
Hope this post touched your heart and made you want to help in any way that you can. Life takes a village sometimes and trust me, it eases the soul to pay it forward.
