I was fresh out of college when I first got involved with Habitat for Humanity. Lacking a little direction in what I wanted to do with my degree and my life, I blindly signed up to be an Americorps member. For that whole next year, I committed to working for Habitat in volunteer engagement: signing up volunteer groups, coordinating individuals to job sites, and spreading the word about the organization’s mission. At most, I hoped the year would provide me some new job skills and experience that I could take with me into my career. What I didn’t expect was to make so many friends and to witness the incredible process of people of varying backgrounds coming alongside someone in their community to build a home. I realized quickly not only how important having a safe and affordable home was to my own life, but how it was impacting the lives of every family in Habitat’s program.
Several years after that year of service, I remain tightly connected to Habitat for Humanity. When I moved to Indianapolis, I knew I wanted to start volunteering as soon as I could. When I found a few other young professionals who were also passionate about Greater Indy Habitat’s work, I was beyond excited to help start a group that would regularly volunteer, raise money, and advocate for affordable housing in Indianapolis.
Volunteering with Habitat has opened my eyes to the needs of my neighbors and my community, has introduced me to incredible friends who believe in building a stronger city and a better world, and has been a fun and lasting way to do good. Spending a day in the hot sun or the chilly temperatures rolling paint onto exterior siding or hammering the components of walls together piece by piece is not easy work, but we gladly do it. Volunteers on the job site know that all that work will pay off, because it will provide an individual or a family safety, stability, a place to grow and a path forward. I will continue to stay involved with this organization because I believe that what is happening here—in the midst of timber beams, wood cabinets, drywall, and roof shingles—really works. With the opportunity for affordable homeownership, families stay together, build generational wealth, and reach for higher goals of education, independence, and success.
For anyone who is interested in strengthening their neighborhood, connecting with other likeminded individuals, and seeing a vibrant Indianapolis, I encourage you to volunteer. Find a cause that you believe in—housing, education, sustainable food, mentorship, art—and find the organizations that are working hard to make an impact. As Fred Rogers once said, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” You can easily find contact information on a website, email or call to see how you can help, show up to a volunteer event. Not only that, but keep showing up. Don’t want to go it alone? Involve your friends or coworkers and volunteer together on a weekend. Our city needs us to stay engaged more than ever in the civic and nonprofit scenes, and there are organizations doing so much good work. Volunteering can change your life—it did mine.
To learn more about how to #DoGoodOften with Habitat For Humanity, visit their volunteer opportunities.
Meet Meagan Heber
Meagan Heber is the VP of Outreach for Greater Indy Habitat’s Young Professionals Chapter. Unlike everyone else in her YP group, she actually enjoys Habitat paint days and getting up early to head to a build site. During the day, Meagan stays passionate about affordable housing through her work with Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and loves living in Fountain Square with her husband, Matt.
