Trucking companies build hope by helping construct homes

Trucking companies and suppliers came together recently by donating time, skills, talents, and dollars to help construct homes for Habitat for Humanity – Waterloo Region, Ontario.

Build contributions took place over the course of four days and included 50 employee volunteers from seven companies, who helped with tasks including framing, ceilings, and decks. This is the fifth year that Trucks for Change (T4C) corporate teams have gathered to assist with building 45 townhome units at Habitat’s Kehl Street location.

“We always look forward to the Trucks for Change build days,” said Maynard Moore, a build supervisor with the Waterloo region Habitat for Humanity. “I don’t know why, but we seem to accomplish more than usual with trucking teams,” and further speculated that volunteers from the industry seem to have “brains that are geared for efficiency”.

This year’s contribution adds another 400 hours to T4C’s 1,500-plus volunteer hours to the Kehl Street build, along with another $10,000 in financial contributions to fund Habitat for Humanity’s build programs.

“Trucks For Change truly appreciates both the financial and volunteer commitments of this year’s participating companies, who not only allowed, but encouraged staff members to take a break from normal work routines to pick up a hammer or a drill in order to help families build stable futures,” said T4C executive director, Betsy Sharples.

Teams of employees from Kriska Transportation Group, Bison Transport, Erb Transport, Challenger Motor Freight, The Tandet Group, Navistar Canada, and Bridgestone Canada learned new skills while building hope for local Habitat families.

Habitat For Humanity’s home-building program helps lower-income, working families by providing the opportunity to purchase their own homes.