Our Volunteer Recognition Event Returns!
For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, West Tuality Habitat held a dinner event to honor its volunteers, recognizing two corporations who have had volunteers at our work sites multiple times in the last 12 months and awarding Presidential Service Awards (Gold level) to 21 volunteers.
The event, held at the Forest Grove Senior & Community Center, also honored President Jimmy Carter, the most famous Habitat for Humanity volunteer and who recently celebrated his 100th birthday.
At the end of this blog, we have some of the photos from this event, which we hope can again be an annual event.
Umar Twahir from Intel in Hillsboro was on hand to accept a certificate and salute from Habitat staff for the four groups of employees from his company that have volunteered at build and repair sites four times since 2022. Employees from the TTM Technologies facility in Forest Grove accepted a certificate and recognition for their employees repeatedly volunteering in 2024; the group volunteered for a fourth time, just two days after the event, at a home repair event for one of Habitat’s partner families in Forest Grove.
West Tuality Habitat became a certifying organization for the US Presidential Service Awards in 2023. This designation means that anyone who volunteers with West Tuality Habitat and meets the eligibility requirements for a Presidential Service Award through volunteering with just us or in combination with another organization that is a certifying organization can receive the award at the bronze, silver, gold or lifetime level.
Volunteers honored with the Presidential Service Award at the event:
Bill Bench
Hal Brockman
Steve Brockett
Kathy Compton
Brian Cooper
Susan Cooper
Bruce Countryman
Cliff Ebert
Reed Fowler
Bruce Hummel
Chris Herrin
Michael Larson
Mark Fitz Maurice
Viki Mulick
Sue Nemcheck
Stewart Nestor
Kevin Pate
Mike Pirc
Stan Shope
Brian Vandehey
Ron Zwart
Also in attendance at the event was Claudia Herrera, a community member who has volunteered at several of our Rock the Block neighborhood revitalization events this year. She also came to our 2024 Women Build event and she’ll be attending our upcoming Habitat University “All About Drywall” event, equipping her with the skills to volunteer on our construction site at Countryman Estates as soon as volunteers begin.
Several members of the West Tuality Habitat board of directors, all volunteers, were also on hand at the event.
Staff from West Tuality Habitat’s administrative office and from the Forest Grove ReStore attended to serve the meal to volunteers and their guests and participate in the celebration.
West Tuality Habitat is completing the necessary infrustructure to begin construction on its next home development, Countryman Estates, which is next door to Kidd Court, another home development by the affiliate, in Forest Grove. Once finished, Countryman Estates will boast eight homes: two single-story fully-accessible units and six townhomes, each with three-four bedrooms and two full baths, each with all appliances and fully-accessible ground floor living spaces and bedrooms. Volunteers will work alongside the future homeowners to build these homes.
West Tuality Habitat has a huge range of volunteering opportunities. We have a variety of ways you can help as a volunteer to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter - and they don’t all involve hammers! Most of volunteering opportunities are in Forest Grove, Oregon; some are also in Gaston, North Plains, Buxton, Cornelius, Banks and the surrounding area. You can help with home construction, critical home repairs, yard cleanup for vulnerable homeowners, customers in the ReStore, photography, events, community outreach, committee work/advising, fundraising and more. We also occasionally have online volunteering opportunities regarding graphic design, research, writing and editing.
