Faith Organizations

There are several ways for your faith organizations to support Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity. We encourage you to think outside the box about educating your congregation and helping them advocate for Habitat for Humanity.

Involvement Ideas

For children:

  • Write messages or blessings on 2 X 4s before the house framing.
  • Challenge Sunday School classes to raise money to purchase an appliance, door knobs, doors,. box of nails, etc. The goal set should be appropriate and achievable for their age group. Suggest ways they can earn some money to donate to Habitat.
  • Make a bulletin board with the outline of a house and each time a classroom reaches a goal, they can add a stick to the outline. The house will be built before their eyes!
  • Habitat work is never complete without prayer. Encourage the children to pray for the family we're assisting and the volunteers that are helping.
  • Plant environmentally friendly trees and garden plants at the site.
  • Make a welcome basket for the homeowner family and sing a song at the dedication.
  • Hold "Under Construction," a Habitat for Humanity-themed Vacation Bible School
  • Give Habitat for Humanity Sunday School Lessons for Kindergartners (Page 1; Page 2)

For youth:

  • Help clear the construction site of debris before or after construction.
  • Help fold or stuff Habitat newsletters or mailings.
  • Register volunteers at the construction site information table.
  • Stain doors and baseboards off-site before they are put into a house.
  • Build a playhouse to be auctioned off.
  • Provide babysitting for children of volunteers working on the build.
  • Help clean a Habitat House before the dedication.
  • Organize and serve meals to volunteers.
     

For families:

  • Create a design to be used on T-shirts for the home your church helps build.
  • Set fish bowls in various spots around the church with signs indicating that these are “Quarters for Habitat” or “Quarters for Living Quarters.” Make sure everyone knows about the collection and goals.
  • Encourage members of the congregation to return all their soda cans and bottles. Those coins can go into the Habitat banks or fish bowls in the Sunday School classrooms.
  • Families can reflect upon their own living situation using the monthly Habitat calendar.
  • Consider a building project after Sunday’s worship service. Ideas will vary, but even children can help build a shed or picnic table for their Habitat family with the church-wide project.