Volunteers work on various phases of construction, from shingling to digging footer drains, framing floors and walls, to painting or landscaping. Keep in mind that site development (including moving dirt, building retaining walls, digging trenches, clearing rocks from the land, etc.) is one major component to developing houses in the mountains. It is very typical for volunteers to work on at least one site development project each week. We assign volunteer work based on open projects at the time of your stay.

Remember to pack lunches, water, ice, sunscreen, and First Aid Kits for each work site team and distribute to each work site vehicle.
 

7:45 a.m  We are on our way to meet the carpenters and follow them to the work site!
 

8:00 a.m Arrive at the work site and work/fun begins!
 

12:00 p.m. Break for lunch.

Everyone stays onsite to eat and enjoy lunch together.
 

Around 4:00 p.m.  It's time to call it quits! We end the workday, and it's time to head back home.

Construction experience is not required at any of our work sites. You will always have a carpenter onsite to guide you through each project. If some members of your group have construction experience or skills, we will keep that in mind. (Depending on the priorities of our open projects, you may or may not be assigned projects that require this level of skill.) Please keep in mind that we will assign work based on what help is needed most during the time of your stay. Groups with lots of skill may find the House Raising Challenge more appropriate than our traditional volunteer projects.
 

Some work sites give volunteers the opportunity to interact with homeowners, while others do not.

You will need to divide your group into work site teams of about 5-6 volunteers (including adults). Groups with youth need to have at least one adult for every five youth. Adults will work alongside youth at the work site and work with the onsite carpenter to supervise the quality of work and to make sure everyone stays busy.
 

All groups must have one work site vehicle for every work site. School buses are not permitted for work site transportation. Keep in mind that many of the roads leading to our work sites are still being developed and are difficult to navigate with church buses.

The Housing Development Alliance carries accidental and personal liability insurance policies for our volunteers. These policies do not substitute any volunteer’s personal insurance and only applies to volunteers while they are at or commuting to and from the work site.