Someone recently asked me where my interest in Habitat for Humanity started. It took me
by surprise, as I really didn’t know. I’ve had a chance to reflect and I'd say that my general interest started when I was a teenager. First, helping build our family home...and thanks
to gyp-rock, sub-flooring and what felt like an endless supply of roof shingles, this chick learned how to swing a
hammer. J Also, I completely fell
in love with travel. In part, due to a gift of an annual subscription to National
Geographic magazine, a grandmother that encouraged me to spin a globe and tell
stories of far-away places, a teacher that taught world history with passion,
and my first sponsor child, from Colombia, who wrote letters and whose pictures
I still have.
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| The Poirier Family Gingerbread House, 2010 |
In December 2009,
I was helping arrange a corporate luncheon for about 100 guests and was tasked
with finding holiday-themed, appreciation gifts. That year, Habitat PEI was
having a gingerbread house fundraising campaign and my employer liked my idea
of holiday gifts that gave back to the local community. I didn’t know it at the
time, but that was a defining moment and started my Habitat for Humanity journey.
The following holiday season, I was on
the Habitat for Humanity website looking for another gingerbread opportunity and happened
to view details regarding the Global Village program. What happened next was
surreal, as I found myself applying to build a home in Kenya! I completed my
first phone interview on Dec 27th, 2010, and I must say that the timing and the numerous preparation details that followed, felt...fated, as everything just seemed to fall into place.
Since then, I have volunteered with Habitat PEI (including a Women’s Build and
a Father’s Day Build), helped create awareness for local events (thank you Island
Family Magazine!), my children have participated in building Habitat bird
houses, and we’ve donated items and refinished/re-purposed furniture from the Habitat Restore. It is safe to say, that I believe in their purpose. Everyone deserves
a decent and safe place to live.
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| Habitat Iqaluit, Nunanut, 2013 |
Should you
be interested in donating items to Habitat for Humanity or looking to shop for
gently used furniture, please check-out your local Restore (location directory here).
For more
information about how to get involved on Prince Edward Island, please see the Habitat PEI website. They may not have a gingerbread house fundraiser this year, but I
will be forever grateful for the lil’holiday tradition made of cookies-n-candy that lead me to volunteer and build homes around the world. It has been a life
changing journey with many truly amazing gifts. I’m looking forward to the
build in Lesotho, and I sincerely thank everyone for your kindness, encouragement and support.
Happy Holidays!
♥
jp
PS – For more
information about sponsoring the Habitat Lesotho build, please see My Fundraising Page. Thank you!!
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