Habitat for Humanity Does More Than Build Houses

Let’s get this out there. At times, I have the worldview of a baby. I get confused when I see people from my office outside of work, living regular lives. I rarely stop to consider that a random stranger probably doesn’t want to see that picture of my dog wearing a lobster bib (so cute, by the way). And I have this issue where I mention Southeast New Hampshire Habitat for Humanity and I assume everybody in the world knows what I’m talking about.

Usually, I’m wrong (Unless you want to see that lobster picture. Do you? Huh? Do you?). Case-in-point, a recent trip to a local used furniture store. After making a pitch about the Habitat ReStore (more on that another time), I was caught off guard when asked a simple question by a friendly employee. 

“So I don’t really want to sound dumb here, but what’s Habitat for Humanity,” he asked.

It was a perfectly legitimate question. And my answer was a solid C.

“Oh, well, it’s a national nonprofit organized through local affiliates that provide interest-free mortgages to qualifying families. The mortgages are made affordable because we use volunteers for the labor and a lot of the materials are donated.” 

I said interest-free mortgages. Cue glazed eyes. I got in my car and thought about all the things I should have said to make it real, to convey how the organization makes me feel. People don’t feel much when they walk into a bank. I just took this guy to a bank on a first date.

After 20 minutes of rewriting the conversation in my head, I never did come up with the answer I wanted. To be honest, I don’t think two sentences, no matter how eloquently formed, could provide what I was looking for.

It takes personal stories of Habitat families and volunteers and a realization that affordable housing is an issue that in some way affects every neighborhood in every town in the United States. Before you can feel something, you have to get to know it first.

So here I am, on Portsmouth Patch, looking for another shot at that question. Consider it a second date. I promise I will not take you to a bank.