There were many incredible milestones met by Habitat for Humanity in 2014! Take a look back at the work we did around the world in this Year in Review video: 

During our Global Village trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia with Habitat Para La Humanidad, we worked on building a home with the Moya Family. When completed, the home will measure 624 square feet and cost $14,240 US. The family made a $2,000 deposit, so their mortgage will be $214 per month over 6.5 years. The couple has one son and is expecting a baby in December.

My team helped shovel, wheelbarrow and place thousands of pounds of sand, stone, brick and gravel over five work days. We moved, cut, bent and twisted countless feet of rebar that will be used to fortify the walls of the home. Each task, though at times tedious and strenuous, was a labor of love.

For our cultural activities, we toured a center for abused and abandoned children, saw a breath-taking traditional Bolivian dance performance, visited the famous Cristo de la Concordia, viewed the Habitat national office, shopped at the Main Plaza and La Cancha markets, toured the Natural History Museum and the majestic Palacio Portales.

Habitat Para La Humanidad Bolivia has served more than 50,000 families and built nearly 11,530 homes over 29 years. Utilizing Global Village teams, like ours, helps to offset their costs and increase progress on the homes. For example, our team raised almost $15,000 in funds, almost the total cost of the home, using peer-to-peer fundraising for our trip. That doesn't include the offline funds submitted by our volunteers and their supporters. Also, our team of 14 people was able to move enormous amounts of materials on the site in a short amount of time, saving the small construction staff at Habitat and the Moya Family time, money and energy.

I'd like to thank my team members Jerald, Karen, Jim, Andy, Tommy, Amy, Marci, Lori, Kate, Meriem, Ashley and Pieter for accepting the call to service and putting love into action during this trip. I'd also like to thank my supporters, especially my top donors, Bob and Roderick, for their generosity and helping transform lives in Cochabamba. Your compassion has helped make the dream of home ownership come true for the Moya Family!

Please take a moment to view my short video recap of our experience in Cochabamba.

If you can not view the video, watch it here.

I have a great update to share with team members for our trip to Bolivia - we have officially met our minimum requirement of volunteers! After almost six months of recruitment, dozens of applications and nearly 25 phone interviews, our team is now complete. We've built a team of 12 so we can build homes with two families in Cochabamba. I will continue to accept applications and conduct interviews until we reach our maximum of 15 people. 
Our team members range in age from 19 to 60+ and are from every region across the U.S. Some are new to Habitat for Humanity and our mission of building homes, communities and hope around the world and some have been on multiple Global Village trips or volunteered with a local Habitat affiliate. Each member has unique interests and skills, but all of us agree that we want to do our part in helping families in need of adequate shelter have a simple, decent and affordable home to live in. I'm so excited that we have reached this milestone and I look forward to equipping you with as much information and guidance as I can to help you prepare for our trip to Bolivia. ~ Tammie 

When you volunteer with Habitat for Humanity on a Global Village trip, you become one of thousands of volunteers worldwide who have given of their time, energy and resources to partner with families in need of decent and affordable shelter for nearly 25 years. Your contribution to the construction of the partner family's new home not only impacts them, but also adds to the vitality of the community. The effects will be felt throughout generations. Whether the construction of the home calls for cinder blocks, clay bricks or wood, the foundation that a new home gives the family that will dwell within it is solid. The security that it gives the children that will eat, sleep, play, learn and grow within it is priceless. The opportunity it gives families to serve in their communities and pay their blessing forward are endless. People like you make affordable home ownership a reality for so many working families who are looking for a hand up, not a hand out. Experience the adventure of a new country while sharing the experience of love in action. When you volunteer on a Habitat Global Village trip, you work alongside partner families and volunteers from all works of life using the construction techniques of the native country. We'll also spend time within the community exploring the culture through native foods, music, dance, history tours and other cultural activities. You become more than a volunteer or a tourist - you become a member of our Global Village family, which transforms the lives of those living in poverty housing conditions around the world. You can get involved by joining my Global Village team to Bolivia and help two families build their simple, decent and affordable homes in June 2014. 

I have been confirmed to lead a Global Village short-term mission trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia for June 20-29, 2014. The event code for this trip is GV14516. You can apply today to join my team!

Who can participate:
Volunteers must be willing and able to work alongside others to help a family build a simple, decent and affordable home. No construction experience is required. 

Since I'm a Habitat International staff member on the Brand Strategy and Special Initiatives team, I occasionally get the opportunity to staff special events. This past weekend I had the pleasure of flying to the Rockaways and assisting with disaster relief in Breezy Point, NY. This area was hit pretty hard by Hurricane (or Superstorm) Sandy in the fall. This event took place because the rock band, Fall Out Boy, wanted to give 20 of their local fans a chance to come serve alongside them and help their community clear out debris and rehab homes damaged by the storm. The band and their fans worked tirelessly removing debris, painting the interior of two homes, and clearing out lots that use to house homes that had to be demolished because they were so badly damaged. It was an amazing experience and I was really impressed with the band's dedication and enthusiasm about lending a hand to help others in need. 

See, Habitat for Humanity not only builds new homes and rehabs existing homes, we also help with disaster relief and recovery efforts. We're building homes, communities and hope around the world!