Imagine building fourteen homes in seven days, with nine homebuilders, countless volunteers and 100 degree heat  – sounds crazy, right? But, with a lot of teamwork, sweat and a few tears, 14 very deserving families were handed keys to their brand new homes on Thursday, September 12, 2019 – making Home Builders Blitz 2019 a very huge success!

What is Home Builders Blitz?

Each year, Birmingham builders come together with Habitat for Humanity for a one-week home building event to help families in need. The event is called Home Builders Blitz and takes place all across the United States. This year’s Birmingham event produced fourteen homes by nine local home builders in just seven days! Harris Doyle was honored to participate in our 12th year of Home Builders Blitz. As a volunteer builder with Habitat for Humanity’s Greater Birmingham Chapter, Harris Doyle built two townhomes for two needy families.

Why Does Harris Doyle Participate in the Birmingham Home Builders Blitz?

Habitat’s Builder Blitz is an exciting week for the Harris Doyle team and we look forward to volunteering time, resources and expertise each year – not to mention working along each other for a great cause. It’s a rewarding feeling to help a family achieve one of the biggest goals in life – home ownership. Kellie Lloyd, Harris Doyle Project and Procurement Manager, led the charge for Harris Doyle’s 2019 building project! Though Kellie has only be employed with Harris Doyle for a short two months, she is no stranger to Builder Blitz and has been involved with Habitat and Builder Blitz for the past four years. Kellie said Builder Blitz is a long week, but so worth it the moment you hand the keys over to the families.

“Home Builders Blitz week is always filled with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, Kellie Lloyd says. “But the important part is what comes next,” she adds. For one homeowner, the what-comes-next was that her daughter got to host her birthday party at her house for the first time.’

She went on to say, “Home Builders Blitz also presents a chance for those at the company where she works to bond. “It is a way for all of our employees to get together,” she says. “It gives everyone a purpose and the opportunity to do something as a team.”

As important as that is, it’s the what-comes-next that keeps Kellie coming back, such as the home dedication that takes place at the end of each build. “You are handing a key to a homeowner who a lot of times has never had a place to call their own,” Lloyd says. “It is rewarding, and it is tearful. It is amazing.”

How Do Applicants Qualify to Receive a New Home Through Habitat for Humanity?

A common misconception about houses built by Habitat for Humanity is that the families freely obtain ownership of New Habitat Home Ownersthe home. Contrary to this belief, there is actually a process that each applicant must go through in order to qualify for purchase. The application process consists of completion of the application form, credit check, sex offender check, an office and home interview, and 400 hours of volunteer work that must be performed by the future homeowners. The applicants much demonstrate that their current situation is not suitable based on certain criteria. In addition, candidates must also demonstrate their ability to pay and their willingness to partner with Habitat. Workshops for budgeting and life-skills are also mandatory for families seeking ownership.

How Can I Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity?

Habitat for Humanity is a worldwide organization and offers opportunities to build in local communities and also in communities around the world. Habitat allows individuals volunteer registration, group registration or cooperate registration.

You can learn more about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham Chapter here.

If you are looking for an opportunity to travel and build, several opportunities are offered on Habitat.org.