ACU employees raise the roof

Hard hat? Check. Steel-toed boots? Check. Wanting to make a difference? Check. Those were all the tools required for more than 40 Assiniboine staff to be put to work on this year’s Habitat Build.

ACU has been proud to support Habitat for Humanity for the past five years, both by providing grant funding and also by enlisting employee volunteers to help out. This year, three teams of volunteers went to work to help build safe, decent, affordable housing for purchase by low-income working families. For the volunteers, the experience is more than a chance to step away from their computers and learn some construction skills. “The fact that Assiniboine does things like this is one of the main reasons I wanted to work here”— says Buffalo Branch Member Service Representative, Jhazz Ng. “The community focus is great. Plus I get to learn new skills.” Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg started in 1987 and is the largest and most productive Habitat affiliate in Canada.

Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg celebrated two major milestones this year — building its 200th house in Winnipeg and being selected to build the 2,000th Habitat house in Canada.

Houses being built this year all meet Manitoba Hydro’s Power Smart Gold standard. “The energy and water efficiency of all these homes not only reduces their impact on the environment, but also makes them more affordable by reducing the daily living costs for our families,” says Sandy Hopkins, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg. 

“This is such a great opportunity to get to know co-workers in a completely different way,” says Jhazz. “Working together on something like this really builds community: for us as employees, for the family who will live here, and for the neighbourhood this house is in.”