Habitat Volunteer Swings a Hammer with a Heart for a Good Cause
Mike Riley enjoys nothing more than swinging a hammer.
Even better if he’s doing it on behalf of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.
The local affiliate of the international nonprofit got on his radar through Thrivent Financial’s former build program. More than a decade ago, Riley was president of a local Thrivent chapter that connected with Habitat to build houses in the Peninsula and Williamsburg service area.
“We built seven houses under that program in about eight years,” Riley said. All were sold to families seeking affordable housing.
Riley’s involvement with Habitat continued when the affiliate moved to its current Warwick Boulevard location in Newport News. Riley’s computer expertise from his career as a contractor with NASA led him to make a generous offer.
“I’ll get a couple of guys, and we’ll wire the new building for free.”
He also wired the Habitat ReStores in Newport News, Williamsburg and Yorktown. The home improvement stores sell gently used furniture, appliances and more at deeply discounted prices with all proceeds benefitting the Habitat Homebuyer Program.
“I love the organization and the people there,” Riley said.
Being hands-on at a home remains his favorite part of volunteering.
“Even though I’m a computer junkie I like to swing a hammer. I just love the rough construction of going in from zero, and by the time you leave the day, you’ve got a wall built.”
Prior to retiring, Riley teamed up with several of his coworkers to frame a Habitat house in Hampton.
“By the time we left after starting at 8:30 in the morning, all the exterior walls were up,” he said. “It made you feel accomplished when you’re on the job with a bunch of other people and you’re able to frame up the entire first floor of a house.”
These days, Riley satisfies that itch through Habitat’s repair program, which helps low-income homeowners restore and maintain their homes by addressing health and safety issues.
“I’ve been helping out since the inception of the program,” said Riley, who is in charge of everything related to buying the paint, plus managing event inventory and logistics.
“Habitat does everything it can to make sure new homeowners are successful,” he said. “I like being a part of that.”
Celebrating 40 Years of Impact
Mike Riley’s story is just one of many that showcase the power of Habitat for Humanity’s mission. As Habitat PGW celebrates 40 years of building homes, communities, and hope, we’re sharing 40 inspiring stories of the people, families,s and organizations whose lives have been changed through this work.
Volunteers like Riley play a crucial role, but the impact wouldn’t be possible without generous donors as well. Whether you make monetary donations, give of your time at the ReStore, support home builds or donate furniture, every contribution helps create decent, affordable housing for those in need.
Stay tuned for more stories of transformation, and if you’re inspired by these stories, consider joining our mission—whether by volunteering, donating or simply spreading the word. Because together, we’re building more than homes. We’re building hope.
