Habitat Crew

The Habitat Crew is an interfaith youth service group for high-schoolers. Participation in Habitat Crew does not require membership in any religious community.

Habitat Crew Is An Opportunity To:

Make a lasting change in the lives of hard working families. The homes we help built can change the course of many generations as children grow up with basics they once lacked.
Work hard (and have fun) with friends and advisors as a team.
Learn new skills.
To learn and teach others about how Habitat for Humanity is working to eliminate substandard poverty housing while building communities.

Habitat Crew Requires:

• Willingness to work hard and serve others.
• Maturity, teamwork, and communication skills.
• Wise use of resources.
• Adherence to a two part covenant for safety and building a healthy community.

Part 1: A Covenant with Advisors and our sponsor, The First Congregational Church of Williamstown. During any Habitat Crew meeting, activity, fundraiser, or trip the following behaviors will result in immediate dismissal of participant:

• illegal use of drugs, tobacco, or alcohol
• use of any type of weapon
• inappropriate physical contact
• absence without leave from advisors

Part 2: A Covenant for living together in community will be written each year by the participating youth before any major trips.

Habitat Crew Highlights

Habitat Crew 2006-2007 – The crew consisted of 14 youths, both church members and non-church members who met regularly with leader Beth Davis and advisors John MacDonald, Jodi Green, and Lisa Hiley to do community service projects and raise funds to finance a trip to Charleston, South Carolina during February vacation to work for Habitat for Humanity. The crew completed frames for Habitat houses during their stay. They gave a presentation about their experience on Children’s Sunday in May.

Habitat Crew, 2007-2008 – This year’s Habitat Crew consists of 16 youths, both church members and non-church members, in grades 10-12 who meet regularly with their leader Beth Parker to do community service projects and raise funds in order to return to Charleston, South Carolina during February vacation for an intensive work-week with the Sea Island chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Activities have included leaf-raking, volunteering at the Habitat Christmas Tree Showcase event, baking pies for the Berkshire Food Project, and cookie-baking. The winter and spring activities will include working at a local Habitat site and a Spaghetti Supper for the community. Youths from the surrounding area participate. They are enthusiastic, hard-working, have lots of fun and are well-supported by the congregation and community-at-large.

In addition to Beth Parker, adult advisors and trip chaperones are: Beth Davis, Elizabeth Smith, and Sam Smith.