Excel Homes Gives Back with Habitat for Humanity

For the third year in a row, the ladies of Excel volunteered and fundraised for the outstanding cause Habitat for Humanity Women Build 2018. This was Excel’s second year as a Title Sponsor, generously donating $30 000. In addition to that, the ladies managed to raise an additional $5077.

Excel feels passionately about helping those in need and giving back to the community, which is why we continue to come back to Women Build year after year. We know affordable housing is an issue within our city and we have always felt strongly about supporting such a great cause. Many of us are very lucky to have homes of our own, a luxury that we sometimes take for granted. Being able to help others obtain a safe space to call their own is a very fulfilling thing to be a part of.

This was my second time participating in Women Build. The first year I volunteered was in 2016 when we were working in Pineridge, this year we were building in Bowness. Once again, I had an amazing time and was completely and entirely exhausted by the time I got home at the end of the day.

We started the day off by arriving around 8AM. We signed in, grabbed a Habitat t-shirt and our supplies, chose our teams, and enjoyed Tim Horton’s coffee and muffins while we were given a safety brief.

The ladies of Excel worked on building interior and exterior walls as well as decks. I ended up getting to help frame exterior walls for the third floor of the homes – this proved to be much easier than in 2016 when I had to help build a retaining wall.

My team consisted of Jenn Fong, our Marketing Specialist, Karen Baldwin, one of our Sales Associates, and Dana, our Crew Leader with Habitat. Interacting with the women I work with outside of the office was a welcome change. While I work closely beside Jenn on a daily basis, I was given the ability to spend some quality time with Karen and got to know her a bit better, and realized she was one of the nicest and most fun people within our organization.

All of the staff with Habitat were amazing – they were all so knowledgeable, kind, and patient. My crew leader Dana was an inspiring woman who has travelled all over the world helping to build houses for those in need. She was tall and thin, but oh so mighty!

I think I speak for everyone when I say we learnt many valuable skills that day. I worked with a ton tools (including a table saw and nail gun) that I never had before and was quite nervous and apprehensive at first. The more I used them though the more comfortable I became, and by the end of the day I would have taken the drill home with me if they had let me!

Over the lunch break we had the opportunity to hear a few words from Habitat’s CFO, Brenda Rose, Excel’s President and CEO, Lance Floer, as well as a woman who lives in a Habitat home.

We wasted no time standing around after lunch and were right back at it for the remainder of the afternoon. Within my group, we took turns completing tasks and rotating the use of the tools. I was highly impressed with Karen’s work ethic and skill set as she used every tool with confidence and ease. As a team we managed to complete the framing of a wall and stand it up!

After an afternoon in the warm May sun we called it a day around 3:30PM and started the tiring task of clean-up. We carted tools, scraps, and everything else down three flights of stairs until our work space was immaculate and ready for the next batch of volunteers the following day.

The ladies of Excel decided to keep the fun going and headed across the street to Hexters for a couple of drinks and appies. We sat on the patio, relished in our hard work, and thoroughly enjoyed our cold beverages and greasy pub food. We even had two Habitat members join us! We shared good conversation and lots of laughs.

By the time I arrived home I was dead tired. Let me tell you – I am used to hard work, I’m also an avid runner so my body is used to physical activity, however; this was a different form of exhaustion that overcame me. After participating in Women Build in 2016 I remember coming home completely wiped, but it still caught me by surprise this time around. I showered, put on my comfiest sweater, and settled into the couch for an early Friday night.

I must admit that I have so much respect for people who do physical labour every day, it is seriously no joke and definitely not an easy task. My feet alone were aching just from standing in steel toe boots all day. Hats off to all of the amazing men and women who put in the sweat equity to help build homes – you guys are the real MVP’s!

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity but have never taken the plunge, I highly suggest doing it. Don’t be afraid of the tools or worry that you’re not in good enough shape to do the physical work – Habitat is just happy to have you there – they will work with you. It’s a very humbling and rewarding experience and I fully intend on going back next year.