Each Habitat volunteer must sign a Waiver of Liability agreeing to take personal responsibility for
any accidents or injuries on the job. Volunteers are also required to view the following safety video found here. Please bring your completed waiver with you to the build site.
Dress for the weather, plan to work outside, and expect to get dirty! We recommend hard-soled work shoes or hiking boots, old work clothes, work gloves, and dressing in layers. No sandals or flip-flops, you will be sent home. We also recommend a hat or sunscreen for hot weather, and hand sanitizer or baby
wipes for lunch.
No previous construction skills are expected. Our skilled site supervisors and construction staff will
provide the necessary tools, training, and safety information on site. Just come with a can-do attitude
and be ready to learn!
We will provide all tools and safety equipment; but if you have your favorites, we encourage you to can
bring them. If you do choose to bring your own tools, please ensure that they are labelled with your
name or initials.
16 is our age minimum to volunteer. 16-17 year-old volunteers can build with us only after submitting a parental permission form. No one under the age of 16 is allowed on our construction sites.
For half-day shifts, please eat before arriving. For full day shifts, please bring a bagged lunch to eat at the construction site. If your company/organization would like to provide lunch for your group, please let us know when you schedule your day.
Be flexible and prepared to work. In addition to house construction, our construction volunteers also participate in shed building, landscaping, neighborhood revitalization, and more. We ask volunteers to be flexible and prepared for a good day’s work, no matter the task.
Drinking water is available but please help us save money and reduce waste by bringing your own reusable water bottle. Portable toilets are available on our construction sites. On-street parking is available but if you are volunteering with a group, please consider carpooling.
We work year-round as long as conditions are safe. For issues of inclement weather, our construction sites will close when the Niagara Falls City School District closes. All registered volunteers will be notified of any cancellation or delay by email and phone if provided.
At the beginning of each workday, a Habitat site supervisor will start the morning with a prayer,
introductions, a safety talk and instructions. The group will then break into crews to work on the various
building tasks.
Court ordered community service may be completed for most non-violent offenses. To determine if you qualify and register to volunteer, please contact our office at 716-265-9010.
The waiver can be found here.
Please contact Marco Notaro, Community Outreach Director, at 716-265-9010 or email mnotaro@niagarahabitat.org
