Habitat for Humanity is an international Christian non-profit, building new homes for sale to lower-income families. Anyone may apply to buy (income limits apply), and all volunteers are welcome, regardless of skills, eperience, or faith. In the East/South Bay, Habitat has built almost 600 homes, with 10-20 typically under construction at any time. Habitat sometimes also rehabilitates older homes, helping veterans and seniors to safely stay there. Details on how families can qualify to buy a home are here.
Visit www.habitatebsv.org for more information.
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In late 2024, Mike was recognized as "Habitat Volunteer of the Year," and as part of that, was introduced to attendees at a 49'ers home football game at Levi Stadium. He enjoyed his 59 seconds of fame in the end zone on the "Jumbotron" screen -- what an experience!
Recently at this site, Mike helped cleanup little electrical details (like power for the irrigation controller, the parking lot lights, and a part of the fire alarm system), and finished work on the temporary construction power installation for Phase II, the 19 new homes whose construction should start in mid 2026. ("Temporary" power is for battery chargers in the tool containers and for the office trailer, as well as for all the saws, air compressors, etc. used during construction.)
Here's some pictures, starting with the vacant land, and up to today, where you can see all four buildings of Phase I. These homes are finished, generating electricity from their solar panels, and their new owners are enjoying their new surroundings.
The Pleasant Hill City Council just approved Habitat's preliminary plans for a 4-home development on a large vacant lot on Woodsworth Lane, just a few blocks from "downtonw" Pleasant Hill. Detailed plans can now be prepared, and a building permit requested after that. Mike has already surveyed the site to see how temporary construction power can be provided.
The other big development active at the moment is Sequoia Grove in Hayward, where a new 10-home project is nearing completion. Mike's early work there included getting a 24-foot tall pole in place, which is now the source of temporary construction power on this site, and wiring up the office trailer and tool containers.
While Esperanza Place and Sequoia Grove are Habitat's BIG projects at the moment, Mike recently completed lots of electrical work at a 90-year old Victorian home in Oakland that Habitat was re-doing.
From time to time, Mike teaches "Electrical 101" classes to other volunteers and to our AmeriCorps "interns" who are with us for a year. Here's a recent session held at the Habitat Playhouse Workshop in Oakland.
A few years ago, Mike worked in Fremont at a 30-condo project. In addition, Mike was part of Habitat's efforts helping the City of San Jose with some "sleeping cabins" for the homeless: almost 200 cabins are now on their permanent sites, with bathrooms, showers, laundry, kitchens, etc. in common buildings.
Several years ago, Mike worked, doing mainly electrical work, at a Habitat 20-home development in Martinez, now finished and occupied by the new owners. Here's a few pictures from that project, from vacant lots to final completion, in just under 3 years.
Here's Mike and some of the volunteer electrical team, all looking smug, after building inspectors said "two thumbs up" for their work on some recent homes. (Habitat developments get the same inspections a "for profit" home builder would.)
In addition to putting in panels, switches, plugs, and lights, Mike is part of the Habitat Speakers Bureau, and regularly gives talks to service clubs and other groups, seeking volunteers or donations.
