Habitat for Humanity with Wayfair

Hello, friends…I hope you’ve had a good week.

I’ve been a little under the weather of late, but am thankfully almost back to 100%, save for a nagging cough that just won’t stop. Aren’t those just the worst?

It’s funny how for many of us, it’s not until we’re feeling ill that we appreciate our health. It’s so easy to take so many things for granted even though we are blessed with so much each and every day.

Speaking of blessings, two weeks ago, hubby and I had the honour of joining my friends from Wayfair in their first Canadian Habitat for Humanity build here in Toronto. While a first here in Canada, Wayfair has partnered with Habitat for Humanity in the U.S. for the last five years, contributing more than $1 million in that time. I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding days of my life and I am so humbled to have been able to be part of something so special.

We arrived early in the morning and were provided hard hats, gloves, safety glasses, boots and of course our own hammer. We were quickly divided into different groups with each group being led by a senior volunteer, who are of course supervised by a professional onsite builder/engineer. I was so impressed to learn that many of these senior volunteers volunteer one-to-two days each week and friends, this is hard labour. On your feet all day, walking up and down stairs, bending over, lifting and carrying heavy materials, hammering, etc.

We were assigned the task of installing subfloor on what will be the top floor of 3-storey townhomes and though a little scary at first (there are no walls as yet), you get used to it quickly.

The day had such a community feel to it and I was so happy to be able to meet some of my friends from Wayfair in person.

I have been blessed to be able to work with them for several years now, so meeting some of them in person was a great treat.

We also met and heard the story of one of the families who will be moving into one of the homes next month. It was so heartwarming and truly inspirational to listen to them express how much this home means to them. When we asked the little children what they were looking forward to the most about their home, the little girl answered ‘I can’t wait to have my first sleepover’. She went on to tell us that they currently live in a small 2-bedroom apartment with extended family so there is no room for sleepovers. My heart sunk as it’s such a small little thing but it means so much more to that little girl. It’s about creating a beautiful childhood with beautiful memories in their own space.

This home will mean so much to them, not only because for many, it will be their first home, but also because they’ve invested their time and sweat in the build. I learned that to qualify for the program, each future homeowner is required to complete a minimum of 500 volunteer hours, which serves as their down payment on the home.

It was truly one of the best experiences of my life and even though my feet and toenails are now purple from my work boots, haha, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

There are many noble causes out there, and Habitat for Humanity is certainly one that I would encourage anyone to experience volunteering at least once.

And if you’re interested, you can actually make a donation to Habitat for Humanity at checkout the next time you happen to buy anything from Wayfair 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend ahead.

much love,

Lucy