Under the shade of a beautiful oak tree and with a cool breeze, Habitat Sarasota volunteers, homeowners, and staff gathered to celebrate our accomplishments over the past year and to thank our volunteers for their tireless dedication to our mission. The barbecue was appropriately held in front of two homes in the final stages of construction. The adjacent properties, located on Tarpon Ave, are both scheduled to close by the end of June 2018. The closing of those homes will bring Habitat Sarasota to 20 families served with an affordable mortgage and a place to call home since July 2017!
“We have a dedicated core of volunteers who year after year contribute more than 400 hours on our build sites,” says Rhonda Leiberick, Program Director, Habitat Sarasota. “Before the summer heat arrives, we like to hold a gathering to thank them for their work over the winter season and to share the impact of their commitment to our mission.”
One of those volunteers is Mike Besselman, who volunteers on multiple build sites each week. Mike is retired from the military and if there is a job that needs to get done, Mike is the guy to organize it.
“Mike is one of Habitat Sarasota’s dedicated long-time volunteers,” says Pierre Dagenais, Sr. Construction Manager, Habitat Sarasota. “Mike has volunteered with Habitat for over 20 years. He is dedicated, reliable and always willing to step in when needed. “
In the last 12 months, Habitat Sarasota had over 820 volunteers who donated more than 16,000 hours on our build sites.