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We’re excited to show off our new AmeriCorps class for the 2021-2022 term! Here’s some more information about each of them below.

AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of three primary programs that each take a different approach to improving lives and fostering civic engagement. Members commit their time to address critical community needs like increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, sustaining national parks, preparing for disasters, and more. If you’d like to learn more about our AmeriCorps program, click here.

Peter Biles
Construction Crew Leader

Peter graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois with a B.A. in English Writing and is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with Seattle Pacific University. With a background in writing and editorial work, he found himself wanting to serve people in practical ways, and so applied for the AmeriCorps job in the Spring of 2021.

Evan Carey
Construction Crew Leader

Evan graduated from SUNY Canton in 2019 with an AA in criminal justice. After an unfruitful summer, he felt lost. But then he served with AmeriCorps NCCC and worked with many nonprofits one of those being the Habitat for Humanity of Sacramento. That’s where Evan really found his passion for building and working with volunteers and from that point forward he knew what he wanted in his future. Which led him to pursue, apply and get the position to be a construction crew leader at Seattle HFH. He is looking forward to getting a chance to build alongside other volunteers as well as explore Seattle again. After his term, Evan is looking into working with Habitat for Humanity itself, preferably in a construction role.

Caroline Cary
Construction Crew Leader

Caroline graduated from Denison University in 2020 with a degree in International Studies. She first volunteered with Habitat during a Collegiate Challenge trip to Georgia her first year at Denison, which sparked her passion for the organization. She was heavily involved with Habitat throughout her time in college, going on 5 Collegiate Challenge trips and serving as Denison Habitat President. She spent her first year after college serving at Community Health Center, Inc.. She looks forward to working hands-on to impact peoples’ lives and helping create affordable housing. She hopes to begin medical school in Fall 2022 and continue to serve vulnerable populations.

Caitlin Donovan
Construction Crew Leader

Caitlin is a Mississippi State University Alumni, and graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science after majoring in psychology. Caitlin will be serving as an AmeriCorps State and National Member with Habitat for Humanity. Caitlin has worked at two day programs with people with mental disabilities. Caitlin completed training as a Health Extension Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana before getting evacuated due to COVID-19. Caitlin is weighing her options for what she will do after completing her service. Caitlin plans to go to graduate school to get her Master’s in Social Work, try again for Peace Corps, work for the State Department, or work for a non-profit agency. Caitlin hopes for her time with Habitat for Humanity can make her next step clear. Caitlin also hopes make a difference in the community of Seattle helping them to gain affordable homes.

Cari Firriolo
Repairs Crew Leader

After living in the suburbs of Philadelphia for most of her life, Cari attended The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. She studied Media Studies with a focus in video production. During her freshman year, she went on her first Habitat for Humanity trip with her school. After building in Colorado, she went to North Carolina twice, Taos NM, and even to Peru to build! After seeing this opening in the PNW, she couldn’t help but jump on the opportunity to continue building and getting the chance to explore the west coast.

Jonathan Guzman
Construction Crew Leader

Jonathan Guzman is a current business student. He will be serving as an Americorps National member with Habitat for Humanity International as a Construction Crew Leader. Working in Restaurants as a Chef for most of his life; Jonathan has seen how poverty and homelessness has impacted the world around him. He is now using the skills he developed as a leader in the kitchen to now further the goals of Habitat for Humanity International. Jonathan hopes to a real difference; develop the skills necessary to help lead further projects into the future; and began a career where he helps those who are in need.

Matthew Musetich
Repairs Crew Leader

Matt comes to Seattle via South Bend, Indiana, where he recently completed degrees in Civil Engineering and Art History from the university of Notre Dame. His first sustained encounter with Habitat came while working for the New Orleans Area affiliate for a summer, and he is excited to return to the work site! In his free time, he enjoys wandering on foot and by bike, cooking palačinke, reading, writing, and playing music. He looks forward to settling into a new community, exploring the local music scene in Seattle, and wandering through the parks of the Pacific Northwest.

Mackenzie Powell
Construction Crew Leader

Mackenzie is serving a second term as a Construction Crew Leader for Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with degrees in Chemical Engineering and French. Following a five-year program in college, including a year spent abroad in France, Mackenzie did her first term at Habitat as a sort of post-grad adventure, continuing her love for immersing into new cultures, while gaining hands-on, professional experience. She is extremely excited about staying on for a second term, meeting new people and further developing her skills! Mackenzie enjoys reading, listening to and playing music, traveling to new places, and hanging out with her friends. After her Habitat Americorps experience, she hopes to get a job in the pharmaceutical industry as an engineer, using her degree to further help people and work in a hands-on environment.

Sarah Rice
Construction Crew Leader

Sarah Rice graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2020 with a degree in Architecture. She served last year as an AmeriCorps member in the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity as a construction volunteer facilitator and will be serving another term with Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County as a construction crew leader. Sarah values the mission of Habitat for Humanity and the importance of affordable housing to a family and their community. She plans on getting her higher education in architectural studies after her term in 2022 and hopeful to get an opportunity to work for Habitat. And just an FYI, She likes to hike occasionally and hang out at a local coffee shop.

Jessica Schell
Repairs Crew Leader

Jessica grew up right outside of Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson University with a Bachelors of Architecture and minor in Psychology. In her last year of school she volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Raleigh, NC. She absolutely loved her time there but went to work for the architecture firm she interned for right out of school. This year she is excited to come back to Habitat to learn as much as she can from the construction process. She is also excited to learn from and adapt to a new city! In her spare time she enjoys playing the guitar and ukulele, listening to music, hanging out with her friends, traveling, painting/drawing, reading and hiking! She also has a passion for learning new ways to be more sustainable and how she can make changes to impact the environment!

Nathalia Tavares
Community Outreach Coordinator

Nathalia graduated from Rutgers University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication. During her time at Rutgers, Nathalia interned at a non-profit organization known as Feeding Children Everywhere as an Event Management Intern. After she graduated from Rutgers, Nathalia’s love for philanthropy and community organizing led her to apply for AmeriCorps. From 2020-2021, she served as a Community Outreach Coordinator AmeriCorps National with Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley. Nathalia worked on leading recruitment efforts for a resident-led coalition that she helped facilitate through St. Vrain Habitat. She hopes to continue to work within the nonprofit sector after her next service term ends.

We’re so thrilled to congratulate long-time Habitat SKC supporter – HomeStreet Bank – on its 100^th anniversary serving the Puget Sound region. You may recall we presented HomeStreet with our Community Partner of the Year award in 2020 in recognition of its long-standing support of our chapter. Darrell van Amen, EVP and Chief Investment Officer, serves on Habitat’s Board of Directors as Treasurer.

Recently, Seattle Refined featured HomeStreet’s community involvement, focusing on its work with Habitat that encompasses 21 years and incorporates engagement of its employees with significant financial support. Highlights of its support include:

• A financial commitment of more than $260,000 to Habitat. The company has given substantial time as well, providing over 200 volunteers who contributed well over 1000 volunteer hours.
• Being instrumental in the building of a number of Habitat homes including the opening of our wonderful project in 2019 in Sammamish, as well as facilitating Federal Home Loan Bank payments for our homeowners, providing financial education to Habitat’s AmeriCorps volunteers, and even tallying donations after the annual luncheon.

We can’t overstate how much HomeStreet’s partnership has meant to our affiliate, and on behalf of all of us, we congratulate them on celebrating 100 years. We look forward to 100 more.

To watch the Seattle Refined feature, click the link.

On August 14, Habitat SKC celebrated the dedication of Phase 1 of our Lake City project, where new homeowners received their keys and celebrated the dedication of their homes with the community.

Several local officials and community leaders were in attendance, including Rep. Javier Valdez from the 46th Legislative District; Rod Brandon, Executive Director, Seattle Housing Authority; and Nate Lichti, Managing Director, Housing Trust Fund – WA Department of Commerce; as well as BECU, who contributed a half house sponsorship for the project. Other major corporate sponsors of the project include Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Nordstrom, DocuSign, GMC-CMI, BlackRock, Credit Union Home Mortgage Solutions and Weyerhaeuser. We also received funding from the City of Seattle, Office of Housing.

Seven of the partner families were in attendance, and in addition to formally receiving their keys, they also celebrated with ribbon-cutting ceremonies of their individual homes.

The project, when fully completed in 2022, will provide 16 townhomes to hard-working low-income families, as well as the long-term financial stability, independence, and equity-building that homeownership provides. These eco-friendly homes will be placed into a land trust that ensures permanent affordability for future generations.

Alumni of Weyerhaeuser, a long-time corporate supporter of Habitat of Humanity Seattle – King County (SKC), will come together on Wednesday, July 14 at Habitat’s La Fortuna site in Renton for a build event that kicks off a five-year commitment to sponsoring ten homes in over 5 years in King County and Pierce County.

Date: Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Kick-off, Gathering and Tour
11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Build
Address: La Fortuna, 17288 127th Ave SE, Renton, WA 98058

The Weyerhaeuser Alumni leadership group, comprised of eight retired company executives, originally came together late last year with the idea to lead an effort that to date has resulted in pledges from 94 of their former colleagues. The total commitment is $1.18 million over five years to Habitat affiliates in Seattle – King County and Tacoma – Pierce County.

The idea for the campaign rose from a half-day tour of several current and former projects in South King County that two members of the Habitat SKC Board who are former Weyerhaeuser executives – Steve Hill and Bob Moore – arranged for two of their former colleagues.

For this first build event at La Fortuna on July 14, the partner family selected for the Weyerhaeuser home is the Clay Family. Trina Clay is raising her son, Ji’Aire, and her daughter, Nyasia in the Seattle area. She is currently employed as a Housing Stability Specialist, and supports communities in Seattle by assisting homeless families obtain housing and remain stabilized. Trina also works at a homeless shelter as an advocate for adult women and men. Through Habitat, she will be a first-time homeowner in a nice neighborhood. Trina loves the idea that Habitat owners must put in sweat equity for their home, as, she says, “it instills pride and appreciation in one’s new home.”

Said Steve Hill, “Trina and her family represent exactly the type of deserving community members we are working to assist to purchase a home. We are so excited to meet her and work alongside her to make her dream a reality.”

The city of Renton is a fast-growing suburb that is an ideal location to raise a family. Renton’s high-performing schools and high-quality medical care make it attractive to families. When completed, Habitat’s La Fortuna project will consist provide housing for 12 families in three buildings at the end of a private road, each with two four-bedroom (1,300 sq. ft.) end units and two three-bedroom (1,100 sq. ft.) interior units. The sustainable units are certified to Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, and represent some of the only new, permanent, single-family housing solutions suitable and affordable for low-income families in this part of Southeast King County.