Five volunteers. Five ways to build a stronger community
Every year during National Volunteer Week, organizations across Canada pause to recognize the people who give their time, skills, and energy to strengthen their communities.
The 2026 theme, Ignite Volunteerism, highlights the role volunteers play in creating connection, building capacity, and helping important work move forward.
At Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta, volunteers are part of nearly everything we do. They help build homes alongside construction teams, support events that raise critical funds, contribute expertise on committees, and assist in Habitat ReStores where donated goods are turned into funding for affordable homeownership.
Keep reading to celebrate five volunteers who contribute in different ways. Together, their stories reflect the many ways volunteers help build homes, stability, and community across Southern Alberta.
Carol, Foothills Chapter Volunteer
Carol became involved with Habitat Southern Alberta in 2015 after seeing a Facebook post looking for volunteers with the Foothills Chapter. What began as a conversation with the chapter lead has turned into long-term involvement.
Her connection to Habitat actually started years earlier while she was still teaching. More than 20 years ago, staff at Big Rock School volunteered alongside their school custodian, a single mother who had been selected to become a Habitat homeowner in Okotoks. Working together to help someone she knew left a lasting impression.
After retiring from a 34-year career as an elementary school teacher, Carol was looking for ways to stay connected to her community. Habitat offered the perfect opportunity.
Outside of Habitat, Carol volunteers at Sheppard Family Park in High River where she helps coordinate the community garden. She is also active in local theatre, contributing on stage and behind the scenes. When she is not volunteering, she enjoys travelling, gardening, and spending time with her husband, children, and eight grandchildren.
“I love the idea that a wide variety of people come together to help build safe, affordable homes for families. Habitat helps people strengthen their future with dignity and pride.”
Ken, Habitat ReStore volunteer
Ken started volunteering with Habitat Southern Alberta after years of visiting the ReStore as a customer. Seeing the operation in action and meeting the people behind it sparked his interest. When he learned that volunteers played an important role in the store, he started looking for a way to contribute his own hands-on skills.
Ken brings a wide range of experience to his volunteer work. He spent 25 years teaching with the Calgary Board of Education, ran his own landscape construction business, and currently works in financial services. His interests have always combined working with people and working with his hands, something that makes volunteering at the ReStore a natural fit.
Beyond Habitat, Ken is deeply involved in the martial arts community. He serves as president of the Honan Shaolin Association, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving Shaolin traditions. Through this work, he helps lead dragon dancing and trains youth dragon dance teams at the Chinese Cultural Centre, often participating in community events throughout Calgary.
At the ReStore, Ken enjoys the physical side of the work as much as the impact it creates. Helping prepare donated items for resale means more funding can go toward building homes and supporting families in the community.
“We are really defined by what we do. Doing what’s right begins with ourselves and ripples out from there.”
Leanne, Special Events Volunteer
Leanne reconnected with Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta in 2025 after being asked to serve as a reference for a family applying for homeownership. Having previously participated in a Habitat build event in Saskatoon in the 1990s, she already understood the impact the organization can have. After the family she supported was approved, Leanne volunteered her time to help build their home.
Since then, she has stayed on as a volunteer by supporting a wide range of Habitat activities. Leanne has helped at Industry Build, Women Build, home dedication events, Habitat community booths, and even stepped in for a last-minute construction site request to help clean up drywall dust. She also helps prepare and deliver gift baskets to families as they take possession of their homes.
Leanne spent her career as a Chartered Accountant and brings that same attention to detail to her volunteer work. Outside of Habitat, she enjoys reading, hiking, listening to live music, and spending time around horses. Earlier in her volunteer life she also supported Prairie Sky Equine Assisted Therapy and served as volunteer treasurer for a fair-trade store.
For Leanne, the families are what make the experience meaningful.
“The kids keep me coming back. Habitat homes are available to families with children, and it is wonderful to see the difference that stability can make for them.”
Susan, Family Selection Committee
Susan has been a dedicated volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta since 2004, joining the Family Selection Committee in 2006. For nearly two decades, she has played an important role in the homeownership journey by helping guide the family selection process.
When Susan first moved to Calgary, she was looking for a meaningful way to connect with her new community. At the time, she was working as a Crown prosecutor and wanted a volunteer role that offered a different perspective. The Family Selection Committee provided that balance, giving her the opportunity to engage with people’s stories in a more hopeful and forward-looking way.
Now working in dispute resolution, Susan continues to bring thoughtfulness and care to every interaction with prospective Habitat families. Through home visits and conversations, she helps create a space where families feel comfortable sharing their experiences and goals.
Outside of Habitat, Susan enjoys travelling, spending time outdoors, cooking, reading, and hosting family and friends. She has also participated in several Habitat Global Village builds, volunteering on projects both in Canada and internationally.
For Susan, the most meaningful part of her role is the connection.
“Every family is unique, yet presents common needs. The ability to contribute (in a small way) to the work of Habitat is very special. It helps to ground me and connect to humanity.”
Nadia, Construction II
Nadia joined Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta in April 2025 on the Livingston 24 construction site and quickly became a regular on site. After her first shift, she was invited to take on a Construction II role, and since then she has contributed her time across multiple builds in Calgary, Airdrie, and Chestermere.
With a background as an electrician and now a Master Electrician running her own company, volunteering with Habitat was a natural fit. She was drawn to the opportunity to use her skills in a hands-on way while contributing to something meaningful in her community.
In addition to her time on site, Nadia regularly supports special events including Women Build, Industry Build, home dedications, and groundbreakings. She has contributed more than 140 volunteer hours and continues to show up wherever she is needed.
Outside of Habitat, Nadia stays active and connected to her community. She enjoys hiking, biking, camping, paddling, and snowboarding, and spent 10 years playing rugby with the Calgary Saracens. She also volunteers at her daughter’s school, supports local events like the Airdrie Music Festival, and recently hosted a demonstration booth at TELUS Spark focused on women in construction.
For Nadia, the experience is about both impact and connection.
“It’s important for me to give my time to something that helps improve someone else’s life in a real, tangible way. No matter the weather or the task, I always enjoy being on site and working alongside such a great group of people.”
