I am incredibly grateful for all that our group has achieved as a construction practice, thanks in large measure to the support of the construction industry and the community in which we do business. It has been an R+C tradition to acknowledge our place in the community and in the industry to which we provide legal services, so when the partners in the group explored a team building exercise for the Spring, a Habitat for Humanity seemed a natural fit.

On April 29, our Construction Group participated in a Habitat for Humanity Team Build in East Hartford.  It was a great success. In addition to giving all of us the opportunity to use power tools (construction lawyers love power tools) and to spend a day out of the confines of our offices, we learned much more about the good work that Habitat for Humanity does for families all over the country.

We started the day bright and early at 7:45 AM, with a brief safety talk and an introduction to Habitat for Humanity by our supervisor, Stan. We learned that the home that we were assisting in building was not a gift. These homes are earned. Families interested in participating must go through an application process, and if selected, must provide their own sweat equity in the construction of the home. They are given a low interest loan that can be paid over an extended time, and arrangements are made to ensure that they cannot simply sell the home and take advantage of the sale proceeds. The success rates are incredibly encouraging. The large majority of the families remain in the homes for years, and 85% of the next generation children pursue higher education.

The group has unanimously agreed that the entire day was a success, and we plan on doing it again. I strongly encourage our friends in the industry to reach out to your local Habitat office and schedule your own Team Build.