As one Habitat home is officially complete with the owners receiving the keys to their new home during the key ceremony, the next building project begins!
This summer there are three Habitat for Humanity projects in the works in the Westman Region: Killarney, Neepawa, and Portage where committee members are actively seeking families and finalizing their build plans and blueprints.
The Virden Chapter just completed their build project last October followed by a special key ceremony and so they're still enjoying the success of that project before delving into a new one.
"Chapter work is so unique, and even within Habitat Manitoba, it's a beautiful picture of what community can really be," shares Habitat Chapter support, Christina Falk. "All the chapters outside of Winnipeg and Brandon are run entirely by volunteers, which is an incredible feat in itself!"
"These groups of volunteers have to fundraise for their entire build, select a family, coordinate all the volunteers, find a site manager, and secure land—all purely through volunteering," adds Falk. "It's amazing, especially in smaller communities where the population isn't huge, but they really care about their own people. Every project is exciting to see how that unique community comes together to lift up one of their own. It's fascinating to be a part of."
Christina Falk and her husband have been members of the Winkler-Morden Habitat Chapter for about 7 years before Christina stepped into the role of Chapter Support and so know the many facets of building a Habitat home before the walls ever get raised.
"You need the right people on board. It can't be done by one or two people; it's a big job," she explains. "You need a good team of people willing to pull up their bootstraps and get it going. Every chapter works a little differently. Each community in Manitoba has its own culture, and every chapter reflects that, running at different paces and in different ways."
Community support comes in many forms, from the volunteer who swings the hammer to the one who brings the afternoon coffee break, to the businesses that support and sponsor, and to those who put in their sweat equity to do a good turn for their community. It shows many levels of volunteerism and community building.
"When people think of Habitat and volunteering, the picture that comes to mind is swinging a hammer. But there's a lot of volunteers needed outside of that," notes Falk. "Our chapters especially show volunteering in all different kinds of ways. Businesses donate funds for our builds, and trade businesses donate their time or materials. If an electrician volunteers to do all the electrical work on a build, it helps us get the build done faster and involves businesses in the community."
The Neepawa Chapter has been dynamic in their first year!
They are a FANTASTIC group of people – very hard-working and connected to their community. They only formed as a chapter in January of 2024 and are hoping to start their first build this summer. To be able to build within one year of starting as a chapter in a community the size of Neepawa is an OUTSTANDING accomplishment! They aren’t there quite yet with their fundraising, but they are a hard-working team, and I believe in them," she explains.
"They received funds through Hylife Days, Coop’s Fuel Good Day, Tim Horton’s Smile Cookie Day, and from their local Community Foundation and some businesses in town so far," adds Falk. "They also have almost all of their labour costs for their build pledged in Gift in Kind forms so far – so amazing! You can check out their sponsorships if you scroll down through their page on our website:
https://www.habitat.mb.ca/chapters/neepawa-chapter/
The Killarney Chapter is needing some extra hands!
"They would really like to build another house this year, but their committee has dwindled in size a bit and they really need some more helping hands to come on board to pull off that next build."
"We have plans going already," she adds. "We have a lot and it's ready to be built on, but they're still looking for a family and they're also still just looking for people to come on board with the committee and help out."
The Swan River situation is unique and needs a good start!
"Right now, we have a piece of land in Swan River that was donated to Habitat and we would love to build on that land I am trying to find a group of people in Swan River who might be interested in coming together to build a house on that property," says Falk. "And so, if there's anybody who is living in Swan River and be interested in that, I would love to talk with you!"
Please listen to more with Christina Falk below!