Waitlists have been retired: We will be transitioning to a new registration system soon. That means we will no longer be maintaining waitlists. This will be a big change for you as well as the CAV desk as managing waitlists over the years has become very labor intensive as the program has gotten busier. As of Jan. 1, 2024, we stopped taking CAV on waitlists. Those who were already on a waitlist before that date will remain on that list until the build starts. This means if you want to get on a build that is full, you will need to check back regularly to see if there is an opening.
Donations: Your donations of time, talent and treasure are the driving force of our partnership with Habitat families. All desk staff members are volunteers and give generously of their time to make this program a success. HFHI provides infrastructure for the Care-A-Vanner program, such as the website, newsletter support, etc. – but is a self-sustaining program. Your generous gifts – of any amount – provide the opportunity for the Care-A-Vanners to expand our reach to even more families as we travel with a purpose. Please put your faith in action with a donation today. Your gift may be directed to help today or to our Legacy Fund to build support for the longevity of the program. To explore using stock or your Individual Retirement Account as giving tools, contact Ellen Jones in the HFHI planned giving department – ejones@habitat.org or 404-962-3475.
Why We Build stories are always so touching to read. Share the story of why you build with fellow Care-A-Vanners by sending your stories to mvandeveld@habitat.org.
Proper build etiquette: Arrival day for builds is Sunday. If you would like to arrive early, you must clear it with your team leader first or the Care-A-Vanner desk. There are often back-to-back teams at an affiliate and there may not be a campsite open until Sunday. The same holds true for staying late. It is your responsibility to find your own campsite in the area if you arrive early or stay late.
Build names: Since we are listing more than 300 builds per year and multiple builds at the same affiliate, please include at least 2 of 3 of the following in all correspondence to the RV Care-A-Vanner desk:
- The build number (GV24-0000).
- The city and state.
- The start date of the build.
This is a huge help to us, as we are terrible mind readers!
Having password or login issues? Contact Lu Tillotson or Mary Vandeveld. Although we can’t fix every issue, we can unlock your account and reset your password, and we are quicker to respond than the webmaster.
Reporting hours: If there is no team leader on your build, Roxanne will ask someone to report hours. I see comments on surveys saying the affiliate will report your hours. Affiliates never report hours, so we depend on the Care-A-Vanners to let us know the hours. Our statistics are an important way we monitor the impact of the RV Care-A-Vanner program. You can send them to the rvinfodesk@habitat.org or report them to Mary, Roxanne or Lu. Don’t forget to report any drop-in hours you might do also.
Amenities at RV Care-A-Vanner builds: I am running across comments on evaluations of what people expect for camping. The Care-A-Vanner program requests the affiliate provide a minimum of 15-amp electrical with each rig on its own breaker; access to water; a dump station in a reasonable distance and a safe environment to park in. We do not require Wi-Fi, sewer hookups, or 30- or 50-amp electrical. Many affiliates provide us with much more than just 15-amps and some even have Wi-Fi available. I have also seen requests for affiliates to build bathroom facilities. When we have them, they are nice, but I don’t think we should be asking affiliates to make a major expenditure for our comfort. We are supposed to be self-contained. Please be grateful if you are provided with more than the minimum. We are trying to keep the costs of camping down, but adding sewer, 50-amp electrical, restrooms and Wi-Fi increases the cost.
Lunches: We do not require affiliates to provide meals. We are all capable of making our own and probably will eat healthier when we do. Some affiliates do provide some or all lunches. This is always much appreciated, but never required. For affiliates who host multiple builds, it is hard for them to get that much support to provide a daily meal. Welcome dinners can be anything from just a meeting, to a meeting with snacks, to a full meal. It is very appropriate for the Care-A-Vanners to help host by offering to do a potluck for the welcome dinner. Remember, we are there to help the affiliate, not create more work for them.
Surveys: Just a reminder that we do read every survey and respond when appropriate. We appreciate your comments, suggestions and even constructive criticism. We also encourage you to sign your surveys so we can respond to you individually. If you have an issue that you do not want to put on your survey, drop me a note at mvandeveld@habitat.org. We want to make sure we address all of your concerns and hear your suggestions.
Requirements to participate in a build: You must complete a background check and fill out a waiver. Many of our builds do not have access to a bathroom or shower house. Therefore, you must have a self-contained RV with holding tanks that can be dumped in compliance with local, state and federal law. It is not the responsibility of the Care-A-Vanner desk nor the affiliate to accommodate your sanitation needs.
Care-A-Vanner recruitment brochures and thank-you cards: We have a supply of Care-A-Vanner recruitment brochures for everyone, as well as thank-you cards for team leaders, and we can mail them to anyone who would like a supply. Just drop me a note at mvandeveld@habitat.org with your mailing address and which items you would like, brochures or thank-you cards.
Rides to work: We recognize that not everyone tows a vehicle, and we would like to accommodate you on builds. However, if you do not have a means to get to the job site, please check with your team leader prior to the build to be sure there is someone you can ride with. Do not assume there is room in someone’s backseat for you. It may be full of tools!
Care-A-Vanner nametags: We have found two sources for nametags. Below is the contact info for both. If you are looking for nametags, you will have to contact one of these vendors for more details.
- Sandy Henry Precision Design
simplifysandy@aol.com
(574) 699-7867
U.S. Post mailing address.
Payment through Pay Pal.
Badges are $10 each. Total with S&H will usually be $13.
- Best Badges Plusn
John & Barbara Trent
770-380-3787
bestbadgesplus@gmail.com
How to get access to MyHabitat:
MyHabitat is the online portal for information that is directly related to our role as volunteers supporting the Habitat mission.
The Knowledge Center is a collection of information and resources that will help you learn more about the new Construction Policy and Standards, House Design Criteria, Mission Aligned Design and Aging in Place Initiative. The My BuildSite section has documentation and training to help us Build Safe, Build More and Build Better.
The Disaster Risk Reduction and Response, or DR3, area provides background on how our Disaster Rebuild Team volunteers support the recovery process. You will be able to sign up for the U.S. Construction and Disaster Services monthly newsletters.
Yammer groups allow you to connect, discuss and share ideas and examples with other people involved in the Habitat mission. Eventually we hope to have RV Care-A-Vanner-specific training available on the site.
We encourage you to request MyHabitat access, then register for the upcoming orientation session on how to access and navigate around the MyHabitat portal.
To request access, contact Darlene Laird.
Contacting Mary Vandeveld: If you have a message for me, please email me at mvandeveld@habitat.org. I don’t do Facebook messenger because I just don’t have time.
Pets: For the safety of volunteers and animals, pets (including service animals) are not permitted on the work site. They are welcome to travel along to your campsite, provided you follow the campground rules. If preapproved by the affiliate, dogs may come to the build but are not allowed on an active jobsite. Owners are reminded to be considerate of others on the team and to take responsibility for the care, cleanup and noise maintenance that pets may require. If this issue is a concern, please contact the CAV desk prior to arriving at the build for further information.
