Board Member Perspectives: Why We Serve
EDITOR’S NOTE: Habitat board members are volunteers who play a vital role in guiding our work and strengthening our communities. In this new “From the Ground Up” series, board member Tom Feehan shares conversations with fellow board members about why they chose to get involved—and the impact they’re working to make. This excerpt highlights Tom’s conversation with Lake City board member Joe White. Read the full story on our website.
My father was kind of a hands-on guy, DIYer, and he liked to stay busy. He worked on Habitat for Humanity projects in my central Wisconsin hometown.
I came here to Lake City right from college and have been here ever since. Over the years, I was able to work on two Habitat home building projects here in Lake City.
Once I met and got to know Bob Hawley, I was impressed with how he presented himself and Goodhue County Habitat for Humanity and so I thought, well, if there’s ever an opportunity, I’d definitely help out. I put my hat in the ring, and you guys thankfully accepted me onto the Board of Directors.
I feel really strong about Bob and his character and what he brings to the table for Habitat. So, stepping up onto the Habitat Executive Board gives me an opportunity to get more involved with his day-to-day actions and help support him. He’s a great asset, and I want to do what I can to keep him in place and keep him happy.
We are all busy but if it’s something you’re passionate about and enthusiastic about, you can make time. Luckily, I am an empty nester and feel enthusiastic about Habitat. The Habitat home building model is great and makes a ton of sense.
Our Goodhue County Habitat affiliate has go-to home build teams in Red Wing and a team out of the Rochester area. They have built homes and a lifetime connection to their communities. Being in Lake City for 35 years and being older myself, I know people pushing that retirement age that may have some time on their hands and a skill set to help out. I think I’ve got four, maybe five volunteers that are ready to be the core of the Lake City Build Team. We are looking for more! In my gut, I think it’s going to be a great experience for them. They’re a little bit out of their comfort zone, but their skill set is great. The Lake City Build Team will take the lead as we begin the next Lake City Habitat Home with a groundbreaking on April 30th.
I’ve also reached out to Lake City corporations as well and different organizations hoping to get some build teams from the different groups here in Lake City as well. As a member of First Lutheran Church in Lake City, I was able to recruit a handful of volunteers there.
I work at Acrotech and I’ve got a team committed to work a day on the Lake City Habitat project. The owner is gracious enough to give us a paid day off. With my past Chamber involvement, we may recruit some of the other Lake City organizations. I’m kind of giving them a challenge that, hey, Acrotech’s stepping up for Habitat.
In Lake City, like a lot of communities, it’s tough to find affordable housing. Being in manufacturing, I am trying to hire people that are looking for affordable housing.
Recently we had an employee here in his mid-early 20s, wife worked in retail, it was kind of a dual-income young family. They were living in his dad’s basement, and they wanted to buy a house. They just couldn’t find anything in Lake City for under $300,000. So, unfortunately, he moved on and found a house in Preston, Minnesota, and he’s commuting to a new job in Rochester. So, it kind of hits home pretty quick that we don’t have all the options or opportunities for working class people to find housing in Lake City.
So, you know, Acrotech is just a small 30-employee company, housing issues have already hit home with us. So, anything I can do to improve the local housing scene is on my plate. I feel I have a pretty strong faith and I embrace the faith-based theme that Habitat has. You know, not everyone’s comfortable with that, but I think it just rings true with this group and the mission that Habitat has to support people, giving back, rolling up your sleeve, and helping out your neighbor. It’s a strong message, and it matches with my values and how I like to conduct myself. And yeah, it’s just a good fit for me and Habitat. So, I’m happy to be part of the Habitat team and hopefully, I can help keep us moving forward.