Getting Personal Here at Habitat

This week, I have been plugging away at the Mud Volleyball tournament. Most of the preparation has involved making phone calls and booking various services. I spoke to a particularly enthusiastic shaved ice vendor.

As much as event planning and seeing it all come together excites me, it produces very little inspiration for a blog. Therefore, this week I have decided to introduce you to a vital member of our staff, Anne Plott, our Homeownership Director. She works very closely with the people that we serve, so I want to get inside her head to give us a better look at Habitat for Humanity of Kanawha-Putnam.

What brought you to Habitat?

A friend of mine called me and told me that she thought I’d like this job. I’m retired, 31 years from a bank, and was looking for a second career. I wanted to get into something that would be fulfilling; something that involved helping people. So this job was perfect for that.

Habitat focuses on a smaller level, intensively on just a few families at a time, as opposed to taking a widespread yet impersonal approach to affordable housing. What would you say to someone who was critical of this approach?

That’s an interesting question. With the individual families, we can take a focused approach. This is not a short process, we are talking six months to two years, and through that process, we almost become part of their family. So many people fall through the cracks with a more widespread model; it is far less likely to happen with the way we do things. We’ve built over 150 homes in the past 25 years, so it has obviously been successful.

What is common among the families with whom you are working?

They are all very enthusiastic and excited about the process. They are very positive.

A lot of folks don’t understand the process of getting a loan or managing their finances; something that many people take for granted. My background as a lender and branch manager has prepared me for that side of our process, with the added bonus of working closely with our families.  

What has surprised you the most about this job?

The atmosphere and the environment here is much different than my former work environment in the financial sector. I enjoy looking at the financials—I always have—but now I have the added bonus of working more directly with the public. Before, I needed to retire. Now, I am very happy to get up and come to work every morning. It’s a new lease on life.

I also continually learn about new opportunities and new ways that I can express myself. I’m a creative person, so it’s nice to be able to bring that to my work as well.

I would like to thank Anne for participating and thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about our work here. 

Have a great weekend!