The Magills focused in on improving organization and utilizing volunteers. 
“I worked as a skilled carpenter and noticed that not all the volunteers were being put to work,” Charlie recalls.  “I called the board president at the time, to say there was a problem with leadership. She said he would pray on it, and the next thing I knew, I was board president!  It’s really difficult to find people to do construction leadership – that’s always been true.  We are asking them to lead a house for a year and we completely wear them out.  Not everyone who builds knows how to put volunteers to work.”

Ruth became Volunteer Manager, a job that entailed eliciting and scheduling volunteers (sometimes as many as 900 for a double build) for certain days according to skill sets, greeting volunteers and organizing snacks for the site. Now, she is on the Family Support Committee, a team of three who become liaisons for the families purchasing a house.  The committee encourages the family to work their sweat equity, helps them with mortgage issues, and organizes education opportunities around home maintenance and budgeting.  

Ruth explains, “Most don’t realize all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into building a house – it’s not just hammer and nails.”

For many years the volunteers did all the work. It wasn’t until 2001 that a full-time paid executive director – David Mullin - was hired to take over administrative duties so board members could stick to the business of getting houses built. 

Bruce Venner holds the distinction of having worked on every GMHfH house since the first one, either as a laborer or project leader.  Venner has his own full-time construction business; in addition he contributes 20-30 hours a week during a construction period.

Venner recalls a favorite tradition, “Before we would commence building, Bill (Bull’s late husband, who was also an active Habitat member) would play his flute and we would sing the Habitat song.

Our biggest challenge was not getting volunteers, but proper supervision. My philosophy is that I train people to put me out of work. I would work with the least skilled shoulder to shoulder and work myself out of job.  When the job gets done, they feel good about themselves.  That’s the kind of thing our project is supposed to be.  We’re not just building houses; we’re building communities.”

Venner is especially proud of GMHfH’s relationship with Recycle North’s YouthBuild. “I enjoy that kind of leadership.  The kids learn building skills, and expand their horizons, focus and concentration.  It teaches them to be independent souls. 

The thing I treasure most is that I have befriended every family whose house I worked on. I’m in the right place, and I take my commitment to community seriously.”  Venner recalls, “We were going to dedicate a house in the north end – there was no off street parking so we had to park on Manhattan Drive and walk up to the house.  As we walked, I talked to a lady who said she was also going to the dedication and told me, ‘My son worked for YouthBuild, he was having trouble acclimating to society.  My son built that house!’  She was so proud of her son. We’ve slogged through some trying conditions, but this work makes me feel like a million bucks.”