Tim B. has volunteered with Habitat SKKC for 28 years, more than half of our affiliate’s history. In that time, he contributed over 3,000 volunteer hours to help us serve our mission. As he concludes his time volunteering on construction sites, Tim has most recently worked at Riverbend Comunidad. In a fitting coincidence, both the beginning and end of his Habitat journey took place in South Park.
He began in 1998, helping alongside other congregants of the Center for Spiritual Living Church with prep work for the South Park Blitz Build. The Blitz focused on four homes within a larger development, and volunteers continued follow-up work on those and other homes for another year.
One of the most meaningful aspects of volunteering has been getting to know fellow volunteers, homeowners, and staff. Tim especially valued the opportunity to interact with young AmeriCorps members and watch many of them grow into careers and leadership roles.
An important chapter of Tim’s Habitat journey began after Hurricane Katrina. Habitat SKKC hosted visitors from Mississippi, and through those connections, members of Tim’s church began traveling to the Gulf Coast to help rebuild. For seven consecutive years, volunteers spent a week each year building homes in Mississippi. Tim found the experience profoundly meaningful, describing it as “A great bonding experience. It was great to come into a situation where the community was so devastated, but also so grateful for the help. By going back each year, we got to see as the community recovered.”
One homeowner in Mississippi left a lasting impression: Two years after helping rebuild her home, Tim and two fellow volunteers stopped by her home to see how she was doing. Her son answered the door, and when she came to greet them, she initially did not recognize the three visitors. Then realization dawned, and her face lit up. Tim adds, “It’s one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. She was happy to see us, and we were so happy to see her.”
Over time, the church’s work with Habitat expanded. Volunteers also traveled to Alabama, following tornadoes, and New Jersey after Superstorm Sandy. Habitat volunteerism became a regular part of church life, with teams serving on construction sites every month for many years.
For the first 15 years of his Habitat involvement, Tim balanced volunteering with full-time work, serving primarily on weekends and occasional Fridays. Volunteering became one of the most important priorities in his life after family. When he retired, his wife asked what he planned to retire to, and Tim’s answer was simple: “Volunteer more.”
Reflecting on how volunteering has affected him, Tim believes he has received far more than he has given. Having been fortunate in many areas of life, he sees volunteering as an opportunity to contribute to others, though he jokes that it often feels like a guilty pleasure because of how much fulfillment it brings him personally. He believes the relationships he has built are just as valuable as the construction skills gained along the way.
Tim continues to attend volunteer appreciation events whenever possible and enjoys reconnecting with the many friends he has made through Habitat. Although he is stepping away from site construction, he remains open to supporting the organization through volunteer outreach and recruitment efforts. In the past year and a half, he has also become a regular volunteer at the Edmonds Food Bank, where he continues his commitment to community service closer to home.
Looking back on nearly three decades with Habitat, Tim remembers countless friendships and people who enriched his experience. While he may be retiring from construction volunteering, the relationships, memories, and impact of those years remain an important part of his life.
