It’s also a boon for folks who work outdoors, like construction workers.
And for those construction workers volunteering their time for Habitat for Humanity at their new duplex build at 1015 Ominica Street West, it’s helped things move along at a steady rate.
Habitat construction manager Fern Paulhus and his two volunteers were doing their thing on Tuesday afternoon at the local project, taking advantage of temperatures in the plus-5 C range to chip away at a few more tasks, a few more aspects of the build as the home slowly comes together.
It’s all a positive sign for Habitat for Humanity chapter lead Donna Watts, even as they continue to work around the ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic.
“We’re so happy with it and how it’s coming along,” she said Friday afternoon. “I always say that at this time of year, every warm weather day you get is one day closer to the end of winter and for us it’s one day closer to our build getting finished.”
While restrictions limit volunteers to only three at a time onsite, there have been a pair of new faces making regular appearances as of late.
That would be the two families who will be moving into the duplex upon completion. While their names haven’t been officially released as of yet, the single mom of three and single mom of five are ecstatic to have been chosen and have already started in on their 500 hours of volunteer labour at the site.
“They’re so excited, so, so excited,” Watts said. “So we’re really thrilled to have them out there and working on their new homes.”
If there is one thing that could be going a touch better, it’s their fundraising ventures. Not for a lack of effort, mind you: COVID-19 has hit Habitat for Humanity just as hard as it has every other non-profit in the province.
One of their largest fundraisers -- the Habitat for Humanity Colour Run -- was forced to go virtual this year and raised $1,800, well short of the traditional $12,000 plus the wildly popular event brings in on an annual basis. The organization also held an online 50/50 exclusive to Moose Jaw that brought in $290.
This is where Watts is hoping a creative individual looking to support Habitat might be able to lend a hand.
“Fundraising has been challenging… we’re really in need of some people who would be interested in some creative fundraising ideas,” she said. “It’s open to anyone, and this would be a perfect time for someone who may have some interest or ideas to test this out. The events could be organized virtually, they could be run virtually, it’s a really good way for people to test the waters and see if they might be interested in the future.”
Anyone with ideas can contact Watts at (306) 347-4670 or through e-mail at info@habitatmoosejaw.ca
There’s also the ongoing national Meaning of Home contest at meaningofhome.ca where Grade 4, 5 and 6 students are invited to submit a poem or essay explaining what ‘home’ means to them. The program is open to teachers and students as well as families who are home schooling, with each entry bringing $10 to the local Habitat for Humanity. In addition, a winner from each grade will receive $30,000 for their Habitat chapter and nine runners-up will receive $10,000 for their Habitat chapter.
“That would be fantastic,” Watts said of having a local winner. “It’s also a great way to raise awareness for Habitat and what it means and what’s going on in the community with it.”
The contest runs from Jan. 4 to Feb. 19, 2021 and you can find more information by clicking right here.
However things turn out on the fundraising front, work will continue at the Ominica Street build. And as the year progresses and the pandemic eases, it’s hoped progress will become even quicker.
“In the summertime we might be able to have bigger groups coming in, so we’re looking forward to seeing things open up a little bit,” Watts said.
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