I built a new house on Friday...

[Eric Ellis (57HotrodVW)]

...well, not a whole house, and not by myself 

Last Friday, me and about 25 of my co-workers got involved with a charity organization called Habitat for Humanity (http://www.habitat.org), and framed a new house as part of a project for a family in need.

I've known about Habitat for Humanity for a while, through news stories that I've seen or read about, but didn't know exactly how their programs worked or how to volunteer until recently.

I'll let the pictures below and the website above tell the whole story, but in short, it was a fun day, very fulfilling, and definitely something that I'll do again soon. If you get the same opportunity, do it!

We started the morning with only a concrete foundation and a big pile of building materials. At the end of our day (~7 hours), I was amazed at the amount of progress that a group of hard working people with only a little experience were able to get done. We built all of the exterior and interior walls, and got most of them raised.

Click here to view the full photo gallery (~115 pics)

[danny gabbard]

Very cool, And good to hear people are still doing things for others !

[BeetleBug]

Cool story and thanks for sharing!

[Dave Galassi]

Eric, that's great to hear.  My wife was executive director for HFH here in California and hosted a Jimmy Carter blitz build one year..........Three homes from foundation to landscaping..........in a week.  The progress is unbelievable, the projects all good (interest free home loans on good quality homes) and meeting and becoming friends with other volunteers........priceless. 
Hope to hear more people doing it as well, it is very rewarding.

[.]

I too have worked with Habitat for Humanity in the past.
It was a very rewarding experience.