Beloved Community
Kick-Off

To build a playhouse, we start with the wood components that have been primed and prep for your build day. Groups are divided into teams to work on roofing, carpentry, and painting. Our playhouses are donated at the end of a build, and the recipient children choose their own themes. So, after the roofing and carpentry are complete, everyone comes together to paint and customize the playhouse of a child's dream.

The Playhouses built at the Beloved Community Build will go to Hayward schools, childcare centers, and local families through Habitat’s non-profit partners. 

Volunteers over the age of 6 are welcome to participate in the Beloved Community Build. We do require that all children under the age of 16 have a guardian present with them for the duration of the build. 

The Beloved Community Build will be taking place outdoors at Cannery Park. We recommend that all participants bring sunscreen or other sun protection, a refillable water bottle and an extra layer in case the weather changes. Habitat will provide water coolers, a light breakfast, T-shirts and lunch for all participants. *Please note: If you have dietary restrictions please consider bringing your own lunch. We will do our best to accommodate restrictions but cannot guarantee that all of the food will meet your needs. 

ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE REQURED TO WEAR CLOSE TOED SHOES. In addition, we recommend wearing clothes you can comfortably work in and don’t mind getting dirty. We also recommend wearing layers so you can stay comfortable as the day warms up. 

Free street parking is available on both sides of B Street. There is also a parking lot at the corner of Martin Luther King Dr and Burbank St. For those using public transit, Cannery Park is a 15-minute walk from the Hayward Bart station and down the street from the Hayward Amtrak station. 

We require that all participants be present at the beginning of the event to attend a mandatory safety briefing and to receive instructions for the build and tasks for the day. If you need to leave early for any reason, please let a Habitat leader know and clean up your area before departing. 

The Beloved Community Build sponsors contribute a tax-deductible donation to offset the cost of materials and supervision, and to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership programs and services. This support directly benefits our new affordable home developments and allows us to provide affordable housing opportunities to families with limited incomes. If you would like to learn more about becoming a sponsor of this event, please reach out to Pat Rickett at PRickett@Habitatebsv.org.

This event is free to attend for all participants due to the generosity of our sponsors but does require individuals to register prior to the event. If you would like to support Habitat’s work and this event you can do so at https://www.habitatebsv.org/give. Please mention the Beloved Community Build in the notes section.

The Beloved Community is a concept created by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The King Center describes a Beloved Community simply, as a community “where injustice ceases and love prevails.” It’s a community centered on equity and shared humanity. It’s a community directly in line with our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Habitat builds toward a Beloved Community by expanding access to homeownership, when decades of injustice have denied the opportunity to so many. Along with homeownership, we grow the health, prosperity, educational outcomes, generational wealth, and strong communities that come with it. Learn more about the Beloved Community here.