Volunteer

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to participate on the construction site.
For those under 18, certain task restrictions apply:

• No working at heights of 6 feet or above (no roof work)
• No use of power tools
• No participation in demolition tasks or crawl space work

We appreciate your enthusiasm and commitment to helping build safe, affordable homes while ensuring a safe volunteer experience for everyone!

No, not at all! Experience never hurts, but it is not required. We have a construction manager that will provide all the on-the-job training needed for the day’s tasks. So don’t hesitate to ask questions!

All necessary tools and safety gear will be provided by Mon Valley Habitat. If preferred, you may bring your own. Please label all personal tools with your name. Volunteers are suggested to bring their own work gloves as well.

Water is provided on-site. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle to reduce waste and ensure proper hydration. Lunch is not provided by Mon Valley Habitat during the volunteer shift. Volunteers can bring a bagged lunch, go off-site during the lunch break or arrange to have food delivered to the site. If you are a scheduled volunteer group on the construction site, we try and arrange a provided lunch; if a provided meal is confirmed, the group’s point of contact will be notified.

Unless you hear otherwise from a Habitat staff member via email (within 24 hours before your scheduled shift), plan to volunteer rain or shine. We can often adjust tasks to accommodate for inclement weather.

When volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, it’s important to dress appropriately to ensure your safety and comfort while working. Please come dressed in comfortable, casual clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty, and you’ll be all set to contribute! Here are the guidelines to follow:

Footwear:

• Wear sensible, closed-toe shoes in good condition (no frays or holes).
• No flip-flops, sandals, wedges, heels, slides, or open-toed shoes.
• Cloth shoes, like Toms, are discouraged.

If you arrive wearing inappropriate footwear, you won’t be allowed to work that day.

Shirts:

• Tank tops, spaghetti straps, or shirts with offensive language, images, or inappropriate content are not allowed.

Pants/Shorts:

• Shorts and pants should be modest and fit appropriately (avoid revealing, tight, or excessively baggy clothing).
• No sweatpants or clothing that allows undergarments to show.

Avoid loose-hanging jewelry or any clothing with offensive or explicit imagery, slogans, or language.

We typically have volunteers on the construction site for the full shift. If a full shift can’t be completed, we take those on a case-by-case basis.

Make you availability known in the “additional comments” when responding to volunteer opportunities.

Mon Valley Habitat for Humanity welcomes individuals required to complete court-ordered community service. Volunteers can participate on our construction sites, where we believe you’ll find the work both challenging and rewarding. Please note that we do not offer office-based opportunities for community service hours.

IMPORTANT: You are not eligible to fulfill court-ordered community service hours with MVHFH if the offenses you were assigned hours for involve burglary, aggression or violence, sex-related crimes, weapons charges, or crimes involving minors.

We look forward to working with you and appreciate your contribution to our mission! (need updated sign up info for this)

• Defiance/refusal to perform requested tasks
• Confrontational behavior toward staff, volunteers, customers or others performing community service
• Leaving site without signing out
• Neglecting or refusing to adhere to clothing requirements
• Talking on cell phone while working
• Hiding out/avoiding doing work
• Foul language/swearing and lewd or explicit conversations
• Using illegal drugs while on site or prior to shift
• Consuming alcohol while on site or prior to shift
• Misrepresentation of reason for community service/criminal charge
• Being charged with a misdemeanor that is not accepted by Habitat for Humanity while serving your mandatory community service hours

Having trouble signing up to volunteer on the website?

Make sure you are using an up-to-date version of your browser, such as Chrome, Firefox or Safari.

Make sure you are not using a shared email address that may have already been registered by someone else, such as a spouse.

If all else fails, please take a screenshot and send it (along with a description of your problem) to [email protected]