As the cold winds blow this month, a family will have a warm, cozy home, thanks to the work of the Washington, D.C. Habitat for Humanity (DCHfH) and APA staff. In APA's first staff volunteer day with DCHfH, 21 APA staff volunteers worked on the Habitat's 100th house in Washington, D.C. This project allowed staff members to focus on teamwork, to meet co-workers and to give back to the district where APA makes its home.
Habitat's primary mission is to build decent, affordable homes. APA staff volunteers fitted gutters, hung drywall, cleaned up dirt and debris, and began landscaping. APA also contributed money to the organization for building supplies.
APA also donated staff time as this effort was organized by Mary Campbell, director of APA's Children, Youth and Family Office, under the aegis of the association's Neighborhood Opportunities for Volunteer Activities Committee, which strives to identify and develop opportunities for staff to give back to APA's community.
Indeed, says Campbell, the "word is out" and colleagues are asking to sign up for the next APA/DCHfH volunteer build day.