# I'd like to volunteer for a non-religious building project...any suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573 "2012-12-30T15:55:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573/1 "2012-12-30T15:55:50Z")
All I can find is Habitat for Humanity. I’m okay with working for a religious group even though I’m an Athiest. I would however prefer if my resources went to a group that was not religiously affiliated. I’m interested in building community housing. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573/2 "2012-12-30T17:46:04Z")
> [@Quasimodal](#): > > All I can find is Habitat for Humanity. I’m okay with working for a religious group even though I’m an Athiest. I would however prefer if my resources went to a group that was not religiously affiliated. I’m interested in building community housing. A few years ago, the local Women in Distress group acquired a new campus - multiple buildings with areas for housing, class rooms, and large meeting/social areas. It wasn’t in good shape. A whole bunch of us got together and did landscaping, painting, roofing, and a variety of skilled labor. My local newspaper has a section specifically to cover charity type events. If I were looking for something similar, I’d call them up and ask if they knew of anything. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573/3 "2012-12-30T17:50:38Z")
Since the OP is asking for advice, let’s move this over to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573/4 "2012-12-30T18:14:06Z")
If I notice a neighbor working in their yard and I have some time I help them. I have a few neighbors who are elderly or strapped for resources and I have volunteered to do things for them. It’s not building an entire home or donating time to a nonprofit, but it’s on my own godless heathen terms and it makes a difference in my own community. All the baked goods I received this Christmas were certainly nice, too. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-like-to-volunteer-for-a-non-religious-building-project-any-suggestions/645573/5 "2012-12-30T21:41:54Z")
Is there some sort of an umbrella organization in your area putting volunteers and charities together, like [this](http://www.resourcegenesee.org/web/)? Google your area + building volunteer opportunities, or something. Or ask your local chapter of the Red Cross - they’re sort of religious though. When I was volunteering with the local YWCA in their domestic violence safe house program, I found that while they had maintenance personnel, they\* very\* much appreciated companies and individuals willing to offer anything from painting to carpet-laying. So you could call around some of your favourite charities and offer whatever skills you have. Also the local news outlets, as **Digital** suggests. My paper just ran a story about a local man who came into an inheritance and has decided to rehab some commercial building as a homeless shelter for families. He’s still jumping through the beaurocratic hoops, but is hoping to rely on volunteers for a lot of the construction and finish work.