There I was…looking at the 4X8 sheet of siding in my hands…and seriously doubting my ability to attach it to the house in any meaningful way. I mean, I’d like to think that I’m not totally incapable when it comes to construction. After all, I DID set up my own Target furniture in college, and I DO know a Phillips head from a flat head! I fully understand that there are many women who are very capable when it comes to these activities, but that said…let’s just say that if I were buying a tool set, I would definitely skip over those mundane details regarding the quality of the tools and buy the one I deemed “cutest!” I hear they make these adorable ones with flowered handles! My apologies…I digress!

As a summer associate at Habitat for Humanity, my job is to carry out tasks from the comfort of an office. I’d had plenty of opportunities to observe construction, but I hadn’t gotten my hands dirty yet. My great fear was that I would be 100% useless as a carpenter and simply be more of a nuisance than a help. But when I asked Habitat construction manager, Eliza Evans, if she thought I could help out, she was confident in my abilities.

“If you can use a tape measure,” she said, “then you’re ahead of the curve.”

With that tidbit in mind, I arrived onsite and was placed in a team to nail siding onto the front of the house. I’ll be honest, the first hour I was fairly unproductive. It took a lot of initial teaching to get me started: How do I use the nail gun? How do I measure and cut the sheets of siding? How do I use the nail gun without putting others in danger? How do I problem solve so that the siding will fit around the window? How do I learn to stop using the nail gun to pretend I’m on a SWAT team?

But once I learned the tools of the trade, I was off! Up on the ladder, I shot nails into the siding with just the right touch. I helped measure the angles of the triangular piece of siding that would peak at the house’s eave. I screwed in boards that would become the studs for our siding. I guided the sheets that were cut by a power saw. And when it was all said and done, I could look back at the house and delight in the progress I had helped achieve. What once looked like the skeleton of a home covered in Tyvex ®, had become the full structure of a house with blue siding. It felt good.

I’m not going to lie, the tools weren’t the cutest…but I had a blast! I think there’s really something to be said for the feeling I got - just knowing a few of my nails and screws will provide a family with a roof over their heads.

We are always pleased to have volunteers help us on site. Anyone is welcome to join us for a few hours, a day, or even an extended period of time. And let me guarantee you that if I can do it, so can you! If you are interested, contact the Habitat office at 672-3848.

-Melissa