COMMUNITY SERVICE GUIDELINES

General Information for Construction

Opportunities for community service hours are available for those who need to perform such service for school, court, parole officer, or at a lawyers suggestion.   You can perform community service either at the construction site or at the Habitat ReStore.

Those who wish to perform community service at the construction sites must:

• Be able to commit to begin work at 8am (7am in July and August).  We work Tuesday through Saturday.
• Provide their own basic tools: hammer, tape measure, pencil, nail apron.
• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Not have court ordered community service- those who are 18 and over and have court ordered community service can perform it at one of the Habitat ReStores.

Steps for community service in construction:

• Before you wish to begin, pick up a community service time card from the Volunteer coordinator at the Habitat office.   Occassionally we have fewer opportunities available in construction and you'll be instructed to report to the ReStore
• We work Tuesday - Saturday.  Follow the instructions on this web site on our our weekly schedule to find out where we are working
• When you arrive, identify yourself to the Habitat representative as someone performing community service. Have the Habitat representative at the site sign the card each time you work.
• When you complete your hours, return the time card to the Volunteer Coordinator at the Habitat office.  Only when you have completed your community service hours will a letter be given to you.  It is your responsibility to return your time card to office. 

Special instructions for Youth and Construction: Community Service volunteers must be at least 16 to work in construction.   Volunteers who are 16 or 17 must have a parent or guardian sign a Minor's Release of Liabitlity and are not allowed to work on the roof, on ladders or schaffolding above 6 feet, or use power tools. 

Other Important Notes:

• Each person will need to sign a form, releasing Habitat from liability in case of an accident. We require all volunteers/community service workers to have health insurance.
• Wear comfortable clothes that you do not mind getting dirty or paint splattered. Wearing sturdy work shoes is also important on a construction site. Sandals are not allowed.
• In order to complete your hours you must plan your time well in advance. Habitat assumes no responsibility for providing work for you to do on the dates and times you want to do it. 
• Hours are accumlated for time served and so hours are deducted for the lunch break.
• The tasks that you will perform will vary from day to day and may include general construction tasks (framing, siding, drywall, painting, picking up trash, digging). Habitat will assign you to the task where you are most needed.
• Weather affects whether we will need your services so add time to your plan in case we don't work. We also don't work on major holidays. Community service workers are expected to work an entire day under most circumstances.

After your community service is over, if you would like to continue to volunteer with Habitat please let us know.

General Information - ReStore

Community service workers also may work at the one of the Habitat ReStores located at 3326 Wilkinson Boulevard or 1133 Wendover. 

If you would like to perform your community service, call 704-716-7040 ext. 2 for details. 

Court ordered community service can only be performed at the Habitat ReStores.  Court ordered community service is available only for those 18 and older.

Youth ages 14 and 15 can perform community service at the store, but must be accompianed by a parent or guardian.