Heine Brothers Volunteers
The first time I volunteered on a Habitat for Humanity worksite was just a few years ago here in Louisville. It was one of those hot July days that makes you break out in a sweat before you take your first step outside. Cold water and sun block were our welcome companions that day, and the partially-shaded worksite provided some relief from the heat. Along with my coworkers from Heine Brothers’ Coffee, I learned to hang vinyl siding that day- a task that none of us had any experience with up to that point. My boss, Andrea, was the champion of the day; wielding a circular saw like a pro, she worked endlessly through the heat of the afternoon, despite the fact that she was 5 months pregnant. By the end of the day, we were exhausted, but were proud of the work we’d done. Spending a day in the sun and heat working for somebody else’s benefit was difficult, but in truth, it was some of the best fun I’d ever had.
This initial volunteer experience began Heine Brothers’ relationship with Habitat- both in Louisville and abroad. Over the course of the next four years, more than forty 20 and 30-somethings from this company have traveled on house-building trips to Guatemala with Habitat. It’s through these “volunteer vacations” that some of our baristas have first been introduced to worldwide poverty, volunteerism, and the people and places beyond our borders. The work that Habitat for Humanity is involved in is the work of empowerment: both the encouragement of folks who had never dreamed of owning their own home and the inspiration of volunteers to help someone that they’ve never met before. Let YPAL’s partnership with Habitat inspire you to sweat for a good cause this summer. As for the kids at Heine Brothers, we’ll see you on the worksite- with coffee in our bellies and work gloves on our hands!
By Sarah Crawford, Heine Brothers Coffee
