Habitat for Humanity

Mission Work in our Community

Responding to housing needs right in our own backyard
Spring 2025

From March 12th to March 21st, the Saint James volunteer team worked to complete Mulu and his family's home on Coral Street. After participating in the demolition phase of the project the previous fall, it was particularly gratifying to be involved in its transformation and completion. At the home dedication, Mulu spoke and told the volunteers that we are like family. This is your home, too!

Over the 7-day period, team members completed 312 volunteer hours to help complete Mulu’s family home. The Saint James team comprised 21 volunteers, including four high school students. Habitat for Humanity made an exception for the team to work on Saturday, March 15th, allowing for an intergenerational day. The team enjoyed wonderful engagement and camaraderie, with Mulu and his wife, Uta, preparing an Ethiopian meal for all the volunteers.

Check back for our next Habitat for Humanity project. Or click here to email Julia Witmer Gallagher for more information about upcoming Habitat home renovations.


Fall 2024: Demolition Phase

Click on a photo to open the gallery.

Spring 2025: Completion

Work on the Coral Street property has been completed! Thanks to the work of our Habitat for Humanity team and youth from Saint James, Mulu and his family have a new place they can call home!

About Habitat for Humanity

Lancaster Lebanon Habitat for Humanity partners with local first-time homebuyers who are making around 40-80% of our area’s annual median income. When an applicant is accepted, that homebuyer completes 250-400 hours of sweat equity towards the completion of their home. Habitat also utilizes as much volunteer labor as possible from local community members to keep building costs down.

Once the home is finished and the sweat equity hours are completed, Habitat is able to offer the homebuyer a 20-30 year mortgage at an affordable rate (around 30% of their monthly income) at a 0% interest rate. The new homeowners pay that monthly mortgage to Habitat and that is what enables the Habitat to keep building new homes.

Responding to the needs

right in our own backyard


2025 Spring Dates:

March 12, 13, 14 & 15: (Saturday to include youth 16 years and older. Youth 18 and older are welcome and encouraged to join us any and all days and can sign up independently.) | Eight slots available

March 19, 20 & 21 | Eight slots available

Time: 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Location: Coral Street in downtown Lancaster

Contact: Julia Witmer Gallagher; juliawgallagher@gmail.com | 609 -937-2494

Click here to download the signup instructions.

Click here to register your spot on the Habitat for Humanity website.

Youth Requirements: 

  • Youth need to be 16 years old to be onsite.
  • 16 and 17 year olds need to have an adult chaperone that will work alongside the youth onsite.
  • Youth under 18 cannot go on ladders or use power tools .
  • Youth 18 and above do not need an adult chaperone.

There is an online safety course that all volunteers can take when signing up for work. Safety equipment and tools will be provided by Habitat onsite.

All volunteers are welcome, regardless of experience. Work can range from demolition, yard work, and preparing the home for remodeling to finishing work such as caulking, painting, appliance installation and cleaning.  If this is your first time volunteering with Habitat, you will need to take a short online safety course prior to signing up for your dates. There are 10 volunteer slots available for each day so good fun and community will abound. Please pack a lunch and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated on the job!

View the photos from the team's work last October on Coral Street! Click a photo to access the gallery.

Archived mission trips

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