PVHH Ends Covid-19 Vaccination Tracking

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to present a health risk, although vaccination and appropriate distance precautions can mitigate this danger. On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced its intent to end the national emergency and public health declarations that have been in place since early 2020 on May 11, 2023.

All staff and volunteers are strongly encouraged to stay up to date on their Covid-19 vaccinations. As of May 1, 2023 Pioneer Valley Habitat will no longer be tracking the vaccination status of staff and volunteers.

PVHH may schedule opt-in “vaccinated only” work days on the construction sites at the request of volunteers. No more than 1 or 2 work days per job site will be designated as “vaccinated only” per week. This is to accommodate volunteers who prefer to work with other vaccinated volunteers only. This will be administered as an “honor system”, with participating volunteers representing that they are up-to-date on Covid vaccinations, as defined by the CDC from time-to-time.

To learn more, please read our updated Covid-19 worksite policy.

2022 volunteer recap

2022 volunteer recap We had 211 construction volunteers, 99 committee volunteers, and 22 who did both. We had 167 orientation attendees, 139 new construction volunteers, and 19 team build days. Volunteers came from across Massachusetts. 69% from Hampshire county, 21% from Franklin county, and 10% from elsewhere. There were 75 build days in Pelham, 65 in Conway, and 121 in Northampton. A graph shows that most hours occurred between May and October, and the least occurred in March. Committees met for 700+ hours in 2022.

YOU made a difference in 2022!

A majority of the work it takes to build a Habitat home is done by volunteers, both on-site and off-site. Every hour you spent volunteering with Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity made an impact — whether on the build site, on a committee, in the office, or out in the community, your efforts help make affordable homeownership a reality for more families in Hampshire and Franklin counties.

You supported us during one of our busiest years ever! Two families moved into their new homes in Pelham, three more families are building their homes on Burts Pit Road in Northampton, and a sixth family is busy working on their future Conway home. Our FEAST for Habitat returned to rkMiles in May, we honored volunteers with 100+ hours last fiscal year at our annual meeting in September, and our tenth annual Gingerbread Build wrapped up the year in festive cheer with our third at-home build.

This work would not be possible without your contributions of talent, time, and financial resources, and we cannot thank you enough for standing with us and with families ready to own their first home.

Is volunteering part of your New Year’s resolutions?

We’re looking for new committee members! Committees meet virtually and are responsible for all areas of behind-the-scenes planning. From family support and DEI to site safety and more, there’s a wide range of committees and leadership positions to choose from!

Want to swing a hammer? Construction teams are on site in Northampton and Conway on most weekdays, with full-day and half-day shifts available. Our Women Build days are the third Sunday of every month in Northampton. You can also schedule team builds with your office, school, or place of worship for a unique group experience!

If you have questions or want to apply for a committee or special leadership position please contact Megan at 413-586-5430 x106 or volunteer@pvhabitat.org. We look forward to working with you!

50 for 50 Challenge

50 Golden Hammer Donors Marks the Completion of 50 Habitat Homes for 50 Families in Franklin and Hampshire Counties

YOU DID IT, and you didn’t stop at 50! There are now 55 Golden Hammer donors, people who make a financial contribution on a regular monthly or quarterly basis to Pioneer Valley Habitat. An anonymous donor pledged to give a total of $3500 if we reached our celebratory 50 Golden Hammer givers goal, and when you helped us exceed it, the donor matched your generosity in return, giving an extra $500 to honor the willingness of the Habitat community to go above and beyond.

So THANK YOU. Whether you offer financial support, hammer some nails, attend an event, spread the word, or engage in any number of ways, you are laying the foundations for the next fifty families who build their Habitat homes alongside hundreds of community volunteers.

PVHH wins Design of the Year

Sometimes, less is more. Pioneer Valley Habitat’s design of a “big enough” house is making homeownership more accessible and affordable for families with this build in Northampton, and it was recognized by Habitat for Humanity International as Design of the Year at the 2021 Habitat House Design Contest. PVHH partnered with local architecture firm, Simple City Studio, to design a single-story, one-bedroom home that maximizes its square footage with an open living and dining area.

“This design focuses on the Habitat value that everyone deserves a decent place to live. By building small, simple, energy efficient homes, that’s one way of achieving that vision.”

Megan McDonough, Executive Director, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity

DEI Update: October 2021

Hello friends –

It was wonderful to come together in person and online for the October 18th screening of Briars in the Cotton Patch followed by group discussion. It is a powerful film and made more so by watching together. Thank you to everyone who was able to make time that evening to gather.

If you want to watch the film again or share with others you can stream for free at https://watch.redeemtv.com/briars-in-the-cotton-patch/videos/briars-in-the-cotton-patch and learn more at https://www.briarsdocumentary.com/ . (Habitat has Christian roots, but welcomes everyone of any faith or no faith to get involved.)

Another quick video (17 minutes) I’d invite you to watch is “Segregated by Design” to understand the impact of policies and law on housing segregation in America.

And if you are interested in getting involved with Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee or want to build some houses please email volunteer@pvhabitat.org. The DEI committee is encouraging members of the Habitat community to read the book So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo – a great introduction to a wide range of topics related to race and racism.

Until we talk again,

Megan

2020 Housing Innovation Award

We’re excited to announce that PV Habitat has been chosen as a 2020 winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Awards for our modular project, built in coordination with VEIC and Vermod. As one of three Habitat affiliate winners in the Affordable category, we are thrilled and honored to be a part of the movement for energy-efficient, net-zero ready affordable homes, and hope to continue to see it grow! Special thanks, as always, to our dedicated teams of volunteers who make these builds possible.

Letters from the PVHH Executive Director: June 2020

June 2, 2020

Dear Habitat Community,

In light of recent events, I am moved today to address the issues of inequity and injustice that are making headlines even as we grapple with a global pandemic. Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity stands unequivocally against police violence and vigilantism, including the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor (and countless more).

We are all called upon to seek justice and care for one another in these unsettled times.  People of color have been systematically denied access to the strength, stability and self-reliance of homeownership in America and it is time for that to change.  Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity is part of a long tradition of caring for our neighbors but there is still more work to do.

Let us bring our best selves forward as we do the hard work of building a new world based on care, compassion and respect.  Let us reach out to our neighbors and affirm their right to safety and security.  Let us be humble in this work and listen to others.

As we face the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are offered an unexpected opportunity for creating change.  As Arundhati Roy recently said, “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next” (source).

You may be wondering if swinging a hammer is one of the things you can do to help build the new world you want to see.  During the current phase of re-opening, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity has adopted outdoor work safety guidelines for a small group of regular weekly volunteers to begin construction again.  However, for their safety and yours, we are not opening up volunteer opportunities to the general community at this time.  Our office will remain closed to the public for at least phase 1 and 2 of the Massachusetts re-opening plan. Our construction update:

  • Inside the home on lot #2 Glendale Rd contractors are busy with finish work tasks to get the homeowners in this summer.
  • Walls will be raised in June on lot #1 Glendale by regular volunteers – stay tuned for an online celebration and video of this important step.
  • A shed for storage is being built in Shutesbury by regular volunteers to prepare for a future wall raising on the main house.

Please be in touch with your ideas and your support.

Megan McDonough, Executive Director

“For centuries, structural racism in the U.S. housing system has contributed to stark and persistent racial disparities in wealth and financial well-being, especially between Black and white households. In fact, these differences are so entrenched that if current trends continue, it could take more than 200 years for the average Black family to accumulate the same amount of wealth as its white counterparts.2

While homeownership and affordable housing are not a panacea for eliminating entrenched racial inequality, lawmakers must make amends for past and present harms by enacting new laws designed to expand access to prosperity for all Americans.”

Solomon, Maxwell, & Castro. 2019. “Systemic Inequality: Displacement, Exclusion, and Segregation: How America’s Housing System Undermines Wealth Building in Communities of Color.” Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/systemic-inequality-displacement-exclusion-segregation/

Fall 2017 Golden Hammer Giver Campaign

We welcome the following new Golden Hammer community members and their combined contributions of $520/month going forward! A generous donor has made an additional contribution of $4,000 in honor of the commitment made by these folks to sustain the work of Habitat:

  • MJ Adams
  • Jane and Fred Andresen
  • Christine Aubrey
  • Lindsay Berry
  • Marybeth Bridegam
  • Janet and Booker Bush
  • Walt and Wendy Kohler
  • Amy Landry
  • Chouteau and Bill Levine
  • Mary and Paul McDonough
  • Libby and Spike McLarty
  • Stacy Metzger
  • Joan O’Brien
  • Susan Smith
  • Keith Woodruff

THANK YOU!