Lydia’s AmeriCorps term comes to an end
by Sophie Webster
Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley is built on people. It’s in the name. We rely on the personal and beautiful connections between staff, volunteers, and the families and homeowners we work with. It is in the people that we see the mission of Habitat carried out, and it is people like Lydia who embody this and inspire us to continue our work.
Lydia was born and raised in Connecticut and was living in Washington, D.C., until she decided it was time for a change. Her desire for something new led her to AmeriCorps—a federal agency which allows individuals to make a difference by facilitating volunteerism all over the country. Lydia did not know much about Habitat Vail Valley, but when it was time to take her next step, she was confident that this was the place for her. As an AmeriCorps volunteer, Lydia leads teams of other local volunteers and works directly with the partner families to build their new homes. Because of this, Lydia gets a first-hand look into the relationships and experiences that make being a part of Habitat so special.
Our Volunteers
Lydia works closely with our volunteers who generously donate their time. Without them, Habitat’s work would be impossible. The volunteers are incredible, and Lydia has been instrumental in their experience. “When I think of my biggest accomplishment, I like to think that people have been empowered as a result of coming here and that I’ve been able to facilitate that,” she says. Empowering each other is one of the most remarkable parts of the relationships formed by the volunteers at Habitat, and it is crucial to their success.
Not only do our volunteers empower one another, but they are empowered by the mission. Lydia says, “I think it’s really inspiring that individual people will just rally a group of their friends and come volunteer. It’s not because they have to. It’s because they genuinely want to be here.” Volunteering with Habitat means working with people for people—and this is unmistakably apparent in Lydia’s work.
Our Families
Our volunteers make everything we do possible, but we would have no reason to keep going—no inspiration for our work—if it weren’t for our partner families. Our relationships with partner families are founded on mutual respect and dignity—a main principle of Habitat—which makes the friendships that are formed that much sweeter.
“I think that something that Habitat does really well is preserving that dignity through all of our interactions with our homeowners. This is not a charity. This is a leg up, but these homeowners are treated with respect and admiration and dignity all the time,” says Lydia. This mutual respect is something that allows meaningful relationships to form both on and off the job site.
An unexpected bonus is that Lydia has improved her Spanish-speaking abilities during her time here, allowing her to connect with the homeowners she works with. “I’ve enjoyed that process of getting to know people who otherwise I might not have been able to. I think it’s given me greater respect for people whose lives have looked completely different that mine, but whose values are shockingly similar,” she says. Lydia emphasizes that we are more similar than we think, we just need to take the time and make the effort to get to know one another.
At Habitat, these kinds of connections are inevitable. Lydia describes a moment with a new homeowner as they watched his roof be framed. She says, “He looks at me and he goes, ‘tengo un techo.’ (I have a roof). And we jumped up and down in a circle,we were both so excited.” It is moments like these where the relationships formed sit at the forefront of our minds and make us appreciate the people that make Habitat Vail Vallay.
A People-First Organization
Lydia may be leaving Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, but her time here has been nothing less than meaningful. “It was a privilege. I forget, because I work here, eight to five, Tuesday through Saturday, I forget that I’m volunteering… it has just given me the opportunity to work on myself and learn about the world around me in a new way and to kind of understand my place in that world,” she says.
Lydia emphasizes the people aspect of Habitat, saying, “Habitat is extremely human-centered. But not everybody knows that. [Some people think] Habitat is ‘just’ this organization that builds houses and people live in them. No, it’s a people-first organization. I think that that’s something unique about Habitat: it’s people helping people. It’s very personal and it’s very meaningful and it’s very family and community based.”
What better way to learn about yourself than to first take the time to learn about the people around you? It is the relationships formed, and the community we are surrounded with, that make our time worthwhile. Habitat’s work and mission embody this, and our AmeriCorps volunteers, like Lydia, show just how incredible this can be.
We’re so grateful for everyone who gives their time and talents. After 10-1/2 months of service in the Vail Valley, Lydia will be finishing up with AmeriCorps here and moving on to a second term in Puerto Rico. It’s been so special getting to know Lydia with her unending energy, passionate spirit and way she makes strong connections. We will miss her but can’t wait to see how she will continue to inspire others and make an impact.
Sophie is Habitat Vail Valley’s communications intern. If you have a story to share, please reach out.
