Habitat Volunteer Recognized
By HandsOn Central Ohio

Habitat Columbus is pleased to announce that long-time volunteer Barbara Metz was recently honored with the Agent of Change Award presented to her by HandsOn Central Ohio.  Barb was selected as a Agent of Change because of her extraordinary volunteerism, leadership, and devotion to the advancement of Habitat’s mission.  The following was published by HandsOn Central Ohio:
In 2009, Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus (HFHGC) embarked on its seventh house built as a part of the Women Build program.
Leading the way for the all-woman volunteer crew was HFHGC volunteer and Agent of Change Barbara Metz.

Serving as a house lead for a project is a real balancing act. The volunteer must have the knowledge to safely complete the project, but also the ability to work with volunteers and teach them the necessary skills. Barb possesses the ability to work in both of these ways effectively to complete the job. Thanks to her leadership and her crew’s hard work, a single mother and her three children have a new home.

The volunteers working with Barb enjoy her leadership style and her friendliness. For this Women Build project, 85 women returned for at least a second day on site, and 20 women committed to over 100 hours on the project. It’s not uncommon for the staff of HFHGC to hear from volunteers who link their service to Barb’s inspiration.

In 2009, Barb gave 750 volunteer hours to HFHGC—the most of any of the 4,000 volunteers with the organization. All of this time, however, was not spent building homes but also helping the agency in other ways. Barb spent hours developing a presentation to promote the Women Build program and served as a trainer for a week of hands-on leadership training for several women from all over the country.

Barb’s own words about volunteering for Habitat for Humanity-Greater Columbus best describe the reasons she is a HandsOn Central Ohio Agent of Change: “My aspirations are that we can build the house safely, learn something each time we get together, teach something each time we get together, make new friends, be able to laugh at ourselves when necessary and provide a decent home for a family in need.”

HandsOn Central Ohio connects interested individuals and organizations with meaningful civic engagement opportunities in the communities in which we live and work. HandsOn Central Ohio also connects residents in need to social services, enabling them to create change in their lives.  To further the mission of the agency, the former FIRSTLINK organization recently became HandsOn Central Ohio, joining a national network of similar resources.

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