My name is Hazen, and my first official day as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity Riverside was August 11th, 2014.Though it has only been a couple of months, my calendar has been full of meaningful meetings, events, and even volunteer days. Everything I do here at Habitat is helping our current Habitat Families, applicants (which I like to call Future Habitat Families), or community initiatives. Whether my days are long or short, weekdays or weekends, I am so thankful to be able to do what I do (and I really believe in it).
So, what is it that I do? First, let’s start with a little bit of background. The first part of the AmeriCorps VISTA mission statement highlights that the overall purpose is to, “strengthen and supplement efforts to eliminate and alleviate poverty … in the United States.” Habitat for Humanity believes that, “Everyone should have a decent place to live.” Habitat’s programs are aimed at new home ownership for low income families and neighborhood revitalization efforts to keep low income residents in the homes they are already in. How can I apply this to my daily tasks?
I work with the Veteran Build Team and Family Selection. For Family Selection, I help with the application process and moving our qualified applicants forward toward the goal of home ownership. With the Veteran Build, I have an entirely different set of duties. Working with Cal-Vet and Habitat, I was brought on the team to focus on something that goes hand in hand with our home ownership efforts for our Veteran applicants: Health. While it is certainly exciting to be aiding in qualifying applicants for our home ownership program, the story doesn’t end when the loan documents are signed and we hand over the keys. We want to focus on helping our Veteran applicants attain and maintain good physical health, mental health, and financial health. Education and wellness, along with living in strong, invested communities, help fight poverty on the ground level.
I am often out and about in the community, attending special collaborative meetings, summits, expos, and local events. My goal is to build lasting partnerships between Habitat for Humanity Riverside and other local businesses, government agencies, and non-profits. I look not only for community contacts, but for partners who are willing to provide those healthy services for our Veteran Applicants. If you see me at an event, be sure to say hi! I love meeting new people!
