Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee, OK 
2515 N. Kickapoo 
Shawnee, OK 74804

 Tel: (405) 214-0434
Fax: (405) 275-1995
E-mail: office@
shawneehabitat.org

 Serving Shawnee, Oklahoma.

 Founded in 1994
 
 

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Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee, OK

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VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND TALENT GET INVOLVED

   
See our Workday Schedule page for upcoming workdays.
    Contact Carol Humphrey, Volunteer Coordinator, if you have any questions about volunteering or would like to be put on her list of volunteers at
 Carol.Humphrey@okbu.edu
Or call the Habitat office  214-0434.



Habitat Volunteer John Prince: 80-Year-Old Displays True Dedication





By Joe Hall

 

Volunteers begin to gather at a Habitat for Humanity work site in Shawnee at about 8:30 a.m. every other Saturday. This is a pleasant time, with most workers greeted by name as they arrive, conversation starting and everyone anticipating several hours of good work on the house.

 

One volunteer who has joined this group almost every workday since 2003 stands straighter than the rest, talks with authority in his voice, always finds a way to accomplish jobs that need doing and will stay for clean-up, sometimes after everyone else is gone. His name is John Prince, and he’s the oldest volunteer on the job at 80 years.

 

Every worker who comes to help a low-income family build a house brings a story with him, but John Prince’s story covers more time and geography than most. Col. Prince is a military man who was discharged with 24 years of service in 1972, a veteran of a 53-year marriage and a dedicated volunteer in several organizations.

 

He was born in Shuqualak (pronounced “sugar lock”), Miss., in 1929, and grew up among 1,300 citizens of this cotton and saw milling town. His military orientation began when he became a student at Columbia Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1947. 

 

He stayed in his home state by enrolling at Mississippi State College (now University). He joined the Army Reserve to help pay for college and enrolled in ROTC all four years he was at Mississippi State, becoming a Second Lieutenant in Artillery.

 

By the time he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he had developed his leadership qualities by serving as president of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity for two years, becoming company commander of Scabbard and Blade, and president of the Fraternity Council, all while working with the Soil Conservation Office to help pay tuition.

 

A telegram from President Truman in 1951 ordered him to report to Fort Bliss, Texas, for artillery school, preparing him for a distinguished year in Korea with the Seventh Infantry Division. He made First Lieutenant, receiving the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Legion of Merit.

 

After the war, he was assigned to Fort Sill, Okla., where he first met Patricia Adams in an office where he had gone looking for some files. He was immediately impressed, though when he asked her to go with him to a dance, she turned him down. He persisted, thinking he had best marry this wonderful woman, and the result has been 53 years of marriage and three successful sons. The first son is a lawyer, the second is a petroleum engineer and the third works with Goldman-Sachs.

 

After tours of service in the Army in Washington, D.C., Italy, Korea and Alabama, John was discharged. Pat had relatives in Oklahoma, so they drove here to find work, stopping first at Oklahoma Baptist University where he talked with President Bill Tanner and was hired as budget coordinator, working with Tom Terry and later with John Parrish. He worked 13 years at OBU, the last five as assistant professor of business.

 

All of his life, John has volunteered his time, discipline and leadership skills to worthwhile organizations. He held offices in the Kiwanis, ran the Backpacking Club at OBU with Dick Canham, and served on the Red Cross board with three years as president. Over the years, he has donated 184 units of blood. He has been involved with the Boy Scouts since he was a Cub Scout and has held leadership positions from 1972 through 1990, including district chairman.

 

He has always been a churchman, serving as a deacon in Baptist churches in Alexandria, Va.; Meterie, La.; Cyril, Okla.; and Shawnee.

 

He and Pat moved to Chickasha in 1988 and later to Cyril to take care of her parents in their last years. 

 

When they returned to Shawnee in 1990, John worked with Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief in the feeding unit, but switched to the chainsaw unit because of continued hearing loss. As he says, “You don’t have to hear real well to be a puller to clear the way for the cutter.”

 

But John doesn’t rest. He bought an Indian drum in Colorado one year and decided years later that he could make such a drum. He’s now made more than 30 drums, the last being 16 inches in diameter. He gave this one to the Salvation Army Boy Scout Order of the Arrow unit.

 

When John Prince arrives at a Habitat work site with his purposeful walk and alert vision, looking for the first task of the day to tackle, those of us greeting him cannot fully conceive of the experiences and wisdom that he brings along with his hammer and strong, 80-year-old arm.  But we can see how his laboring hard on a Saturday to help a working family build a house to buy is typical of John’s disciplined, wide-ranging, generous life.





 

Habitat for Humanity volunteers Dirk McElfresh (left) and John Prince put siding on a new home in Shawnee for a Partner Family.



Volunteers Needed: Beanie Construction

We need 20 people to help construct 25 beanies for OBU freshmen as a fundraiser for Shawnee Habitat. If you can sew and you’re willing to help, please contact Michael Cappo during work hours at 273-0110.
Remember: Many hands make light work!

F
UNDRAISING IDEAS FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS



Volunteer groups are encouraged to invest in costs of construction materials through sponsorship or hosting a fundraiser. The following is a compilation of ideas that your social group, business, congregation, or family could use in your support of Shawnee Habitat for Humanity
.

Sell Square Feet: Create a stylized foot on a certificate and have fun selling "square feet" for a house. People who purchase square feet may come and sign the subfloor of their sponsored foot (or feet). If you are volunteering on the build site, this is a great way to get others to sponsor your volunteer time as well.

Golf Tournament: Requires many people to organize and promote the tournament, but very profitable.

House Banks: Habitat for Humanity has cardboard piggybanks. Put them in your church, in your home, ask businesses to place them at their front counter, etc It’s a great way for youth to begin getting involved with Habitat!

Make noise with a silent auction: Persuasive organizers can obtain terrific do-nations from area businesses, especially lo-cal restaurants for a variety of items like bas-kets, gift cards, etc. This is great to pair with a dinner or other event.

Tried and true ideas: Bake Sales, car washes, preparing mailings for businesses, clean up days for donations, garage sales.

Special Offering: Designate a specific Sunday, a holiday, a Habitat month or fifth Sundays as times for special Habitat offerings.

Art Sale: Have artists in your group donate pieces of artwork to sell. Artists can get to-gether and create Habitat-themed artwork or artwork that addresses the issue of poverty housing.

Scale Model House: Have the youth build and then place in the lobby of the church. Place donations in the slit in the top.

Krispy Kreme Donut Sales: Check out the Krispy Kreme website, or ask your local store manager for details.


 


 

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!  TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED ON SITE

Shawnee Habitat for Humanity is a volunteer-driven organization. We welcome people from all walks of life to join us as we build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with God and families in need. Though the vast majority has no construction experience or building skills, volunteers are involved in most phases of construction.  Our crew leaders are willing to teach anyone interested in learning.  This is a fantastic way to learn a new skill, by working side-by-side with families who will live in the house, our volunteers experience for themselves the joy created when people are able to realize their dreams of homeownership.

Habitat volunteers contribute more than muscle. Creativity, strategy, and technical skills are among the many invaluable traits volunteers bring to the organization. With a minimal staff, Shawnee Habitat depends upon volunteer committees such as Family Selection Family Support, Public Relations, Fund-Raising, Church Relations, and Construction. All of these committees are a tremendous help that combine to produce the result of simple, decent, and affordable homes in Shawnee.

What do volunteers do on site?

Volunteers perform a huge range of tasks on site, depending on the stage of construction. On the day you volunteer you could be assisting with: framing, porch building, installing windows, insulating, tiling, sheet rocking, painting, siding, landscaping, site clean up or any of the other numerous things that make a house complete.

Some of the work is menial and grubby. We ask that volunteers be willing to undertake the tasks assigned to them. If you are wary of heights, please alert the construction staff when you sign in so that they can plan accordingly.

I am unskilled, does that matter?

While we welcome skilled volunteers and want to encourage those in the building trades to join us on site, the majority of our volunteers have few construction skills to begin with. Many of our volunteers remain with us on a long-term basis and volunteer regularly in order to build skills. You will be able to learn all aspects of construction with the hope that you will continue to volunteer, and even perhaps share your skills with unskilled volunteers in the future.

What kind of commitment is Habitat asking for?

Habitat needs volunteers who are able to make a regular commitment. However, occasional workers are welcome. In Shawnee we work every other Saturday, and sometimes on additional Saturdays or on weekdays. We encourage volunteers to make a substantial commitment to working with us.

What do I need to bring to the site?

We provide water at the work site, and sometimes a church or other group will provide lunch. In case no lunch is provided, volunteers should bring money for take-out. Volunteers should wear clothes that can get dirty and are appropriate for the weather. Heavy-soled shoes (athletic shoes are fine) are also important. No open-toed or open-backed shoes (e.g. clogs, crocs, etc.) are permitted. We recommend volunteers bring work gloves to the site, and if possible, basic tools such as a hammer, measuring tape, pencil, and utility knife. Tools should be labeled or easily identified.

FAITH BASED RELATIONS
Habitat of Shawnee depends upon the support of the faith communities in our area for volunteers, prayer and donations. If you are a member of a faith community in our service area and would like to arrange for your group to volunteer, to make a donation, or would like to have someone come speak to your group, please contact the Habitat office at 214-0434.



 

 
 


For Potential Volunteers
For Prospective Partner Families
Shawnee Habitat Worksite Rules How To Apply For A Habitat Home
Shawnee Habitat Waiver Form

View progress on our current project

For more information 
or to volunteer, contact:
HFHVolunteers@shawneehabitat.org

Has Home Ownership Always Seemed an Impossible Dream?

Maybe Habitat for Humanity of Shawnee can help you build and buy your home.

The 2009 Application Period is April 5 to May 8.