Buna Cumbie, the Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement Coordinator for Craven County Habitat for Humanity wears many hats in his job. He shared some of his duties with our members at our meeting on April 12.
He is responsible for recruiting and scheduling volunteers for the organization as well as scheduling and coordinating work groups. This includes staffing their store and coordinating all other projects for Habitat including work crews for building homes in the community.
Buna joined Habitat in August 2022. He previously worked in a Retirement Community in Maryland. We are grateful that he took the time from his busy schedule to fill us in on the great works of this organization.
What is Habitat for Humanity? It is a nonprofit housing organization working in local communities, including Craven County, with a vision of a world where EVERYONE has a decent place to live. Habitat works toward this vision by building and improving homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live.
These individuals and families apply for home ownership with the local H for H. Each local Habitat family selection committee selects homeowners based on three criteria: the applicant’s level of need; their willingness to partner with Habitat; their ability to repay a mortgage through an affordable payment plan.
As part of their willingness to partner, Habitat’s homebuyers invest three hundred hours of their own labor (called sweat equity), collaborating with volunteers and other Habitat homeowners. In addition, they must spend 200 more hours building another person’s Habitat home.
Habitat carries the mortgage for the home over a 25-year period and the land that the homes are built on is usually donated by the city or the county. Homes are typically two or three bedrooms. Two to three homes are built per year in communities.
Habitat depends on financial donations to fund their work. Habitat ReStores also help to fund the homes. Local and large corporations make bulk donations of goods and materials. And, of course, local volunteers are needed to help build the homes and work at the ReStores. To learn more, donate or volunteer, go to their website.
We thank Buna for helping us to understand better how Habitat for Humanity works. It is a great organization that strives to make a difference in our community.