The sound of hammers and saws filled the air on Ominica Street as a group of SaskWater employees contributed to the construction of Habitat for Humanity’s latest build.
Five employees from the Crown corporation’s Moose Jaw head office slipped on helmets and protective glasses on May 10 to help build the 1,400-square-foot home. The home is expected to be finished by October, at which point, it will be turned over to Tanya Legare and her two daughters.
Habitat for Humanity appreciates SaskWater volunteering on this project, but it is also looking for more help, said Bill Harris, committee chair of Habitat Moose Jaw.
Not only does the non-profit organization want other businesses to come on board for a day or two, it also wants groups of people to step forward. These groups could be ball teams, services clubs, or even neighbours.
Habitat’s only paid employee is construction manager Fern Paulhus, Harris said. One some days Paulhus is the only one working, along with Legare.
“That can be discouraging, especially if you need another set of hands,” Harris continued.
Groups or businesses looking to volunteer can contact Habitat for Humanity at 1-306-347-4653.
SaskWater’s Randonn Swan stepped forward since she received an email from corporate communications looking for volunteers.
“I said, ‘That sounds fun.’ I was excited,” she said. “I work in an office, so hammering nails is a sweet change of pace.”
Swan admitted she is only somewhat of a handywoman. She joked that she had hoped to use the air nailer, but Paulhus wasn’t letting anyone use the machine. She added that it’s “pretty sweet” to help build a home for someone else.
It’s easier to encourage four or five people to volunteer than individuals, said Harris. Having teams also makes the project go smoothly and quickly. This is an opportunity for groups and businesses to experience camaraderie in a different way while working together.
“They (can) roll up their sleeves for a day and learn about what Habitat is all about and give back to the community,” Harris said. He added that Habitat could build two homes annually if it had more support.
One reason SaskWater decided to help is because its head office is in Moose Jaw and most of its employees live here, said Courtney Mihalicz, manager of corporate communications, who also laced up the work boots. The company is also committed to sponsoring community projects; it recently committed to supporting Habitat for Humanity.
“This seemed like a really good fit for us,” she said. “We have a variety of people in our head office. I’m more of a sit-at-a-desk person and some of the guys (helping build) actually do work in construction and engineering. So we felt this would appeal to a lot of people.”
It’s a good feeling to contribute to this project, Mihalicz continued. She joked that her eventual goal was to hammer in nails using only six strikes.
SaskWater has committed to assisting on the job site for four days during the year. Of the 60 people who work at the head office, 18 have volunteered for the project. They have been divided into two teams of four and two teams of five.
“I’m wielding a pretty mean hammer,” Mihalicz chuckled. “My right arm will probably be sore tomorrow.”
