Habitat for Humanity Vancouver Island North (Habitat VIN) will be well-prepared for the hundreds of volunteers who will contribute to their upcoming 10-unit build project on Lake Trail Road in Courtenay, thanks to generous donations from the Comox Valley Community Foundation (CVCF), Traine Construction, and Big Steel Box.
The CVCF has awarded Habitat VIN a $5,500 grant through their Community Enrichment program to go towards a construction trailer and tools. Habitat expects to have two build projects on the go in 2018, one in Courtenay and one in Campbell River. This means a greater need for tools, which will be used by volunteers, professional tradespeople, and even the future homeowners as they work together to construct these affordable housing units.
This announcement comes on the heels of another exciting development for Habitat VIN’s upcoming project. Traine Construction and Big Steel Box partnered to donate two shipping containers to serve as the foundation for the organization’s build volunteer shelter and construction staging area.
“Traine and Big Steel Box share many corporate values and have enjoyed working together on other projects in the past,” said Corey Makus, Vice President of Traine Construction. “We are both excited and passionate about the important work Habitat does. We’re proud to participate early on – even in this small way.”
“During our construction phase we engage hundreds of corporate and community volunteers who will receive training, eat lunch, and take coffee breaks in the area provided by Traine Construction and Big Steel Box,” explained Tom Beshr, Resource Development for Habitat VIN. “These containers, as well as the tool trailer, are key in our plan of scaling for volunteer capacity and will help us be more efficient and professional in our operation.”
Construction on Lake Trail Road is expected to begin in spring 2018. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to register through the ‘Volunteer Matrix’, Habitat’s online volunteer scheduling system, to receive updates. Potential volunteers can also contact Terri Perrin, Habitat VIN’s Volunteer Services Manager, at volunteer@habitatnorthisland.com or (250) 334-3777 ext 224.