Most of us relegate our RVs to our weekend get-a-ways or vacation trips, but I would like to challenge you to consider utilizing your RV for an even worthier use! 
Volunteering! Now, not a lot of people would naturally put Rving and volunteering to
gether, but having a camper/rv opens the way for so many more volunteer opportunities!!!
While everyone has heard of Habitat for Humanity, there are many other oganizations out there that are also worthy of your time, energy, and support!
The one that I would like to share with you is an organization called Homes for our Troops. HFOT is an organization that builds homes for troops that have been severely disabled serving in Iraq and Afganistan. These specially adapted homes are built solely through volunteer labor and through donations of both funds and material. They are built at no cost to the soldier or their family. (right: Joel carries water to builders)
build site at 10am Friday
HFOT builds homes across the nation, throughout the year, and gives those of us with the freedom to travel a chance to participate in this worthy project!
Homes for our Troops offers every one of us, whether we have construction experience or not, the opportunity to show our appreciation for the sacrifices our troops have made to preserve our freedoms! For each home, HFOT has a ‘Build Brigade’, which is a weekend-long mass build. Local tradesmen and laymen alike volunteer their abilities to take a raw slab to a dried in house in a 3 day span. The build brigade begins on Friday morning, with an opening ceremony and breakfast, and ends Sunday afternoon.
Spc. Garcia's home as of Sunday afternoon; the build brigade did not side this home as it is to get stucco. El Paso, TX
During those 3 days, hundreds of volunteers will frame, sheet, roof, install windows and doors, and side the veterans new home! And, if you are a skilled tradesman, your opportunity to give a little back to those who have given so much is just beginning; after the weekend build brigade, these homes need skilled drywallers, plumbers, electricians, painters, HVAC installers… And it doesn’t end there, HFOT sees these homes through the finish – even down to making sure that new, disability-accessible front load washer and dryers and kitchen appliances are donated by either businesses or through the generosity of people just like you and me!
my building crew (minus water girls 🙂
If you are the least bit intrigued, check out the Homes for our Troops website. Click on their homes link to find a map of homes being built near you (or maybe homes in places you would like to take your rv! LOL!). You can learn about the soldiers whose homes are completed, those whose homes are in the process of being completed, and those on the waiting list.
So, get that RV ready for a new kind of trip – the experience of traveling to volunteer! The most rewarding of destinations!
Deb Rvologist
Take a look at this web site this is wonderful. We are going to do this this fall. I challenge y'all to do the same. http://www.homesforourtroops.org
dana t.
Hi Kimberly!
If you would rather I rewrite the post for you, let me know. Also, this is the link to the post about the build that I put on our personal blog. It is more detailed, and has more pics – feel free to pull any pictures off of there if you would like…
http://ticknortribe.blogspot.com/2011/03/build-brigade.html
It will be fun to be featured in Fulltime Famillies again! 🙂
Dana
Woodalls Editorial Staff
Hi Kimberly~
We would be happy to allow Fulltime Families Magazine to use this post. Please let us know when the post will be featured in the Magazine.
Kimberly
I really love this idea and would like to offer it to the readers of Fulltime Families Magazine. Would you consider re-writing (or letting me reproduce) this article for inclusion in an upcoming issue?
Thanks for your consideration!
Kimberly