John Glover
"John astonishes me," says Eliza Schissel, Volunteer Programs Manager. "He takes on a tremendous amount of responsibility and work, and he does it humbly and joyfully." This past summer John transformed Habitat East Bay's warehouse from a dirty and disorganized maze into a gleaming and functional storage facility. John did it all. He designed the space improvements, ordered materials and equipment, managed tasks, and led volunteers. He saw to it that the job got done, and when it did, he dove straight into his next project - managing the underground utilities work at the Alameda development. John, it is a pleasure to work with you, and we are deeply grateful to you for your contributions to Habitat.
How did you first get involved with Habitat?
When I retired in 2003, I promised myself that I would spend more time at my favorite hobby, woodworking. Making heirloom toys for grandchildren and furniture for our home and those of my children soon played out. I think the words were “Stop, we have no more room.” So I looked for another similar activity. I found Habitat on the internet and the closest to me in Moraga was the Mount Diablo group. My first project with Habitat was on the re-construction of an 1880s vintage home in Martinez and I fell in love with the building process.
What motivates you to continue volunteering with Habitat?
For me it’s not so much the “volunteering” part as it is the “process.” I like working with my hands and found the Habitat is populated with men and women who are there for the same reason. The “process” has produced a whole new group of friends that I value dearly. I look forward to each day on a project where an end result is both achievable and to be proud of.
How does the mission and philosophy of Habitat East Bay fit in your own life values?
I think the staff of Habitat East Bay work hard at integrating into communities and providing quality affordable housing for those in need. That alone is a commendable mission. But staff at Habitat East Bay inject enthusiasm into the process and that is key in the formula for success. That enthusiasm is seen and assimilated by volunteers, making the building process fun.
What are your plans with us in the future?
My goal is to remain productive and to have fun doing so. Habitat seems to provide a platform for those goals. It’s important for all volunteers to find a niche that they are both good at and enjoy doing. Achieving success and having fun are great motivators. I enjoy both the physical aspect of building and the process of mentoring young volunteers.
Besides volunteering with HFHEB, what other things do you do with your time?
I still do a limited amount of consulting engineering work with the firm that I retired from. I struggled with the “R” word for some time but am getting better at the process. Habitat has helped immensely by providing me with challenges. Sharon and I travel somewhere new every year and will continue to do so, discovering places we didn’t have time for while raising a family and building a career. Our children and grandchildren are ‘treasures’ and we spend time with both in recreation and everyday activities.
Tell us about your most memorable Habitat experience.
The moments to remember at Habitat are project completions. The time when you can stand back and say with pride, “I helped build that.” Also falling in the category of “memorable” is my discovery of the enthusiasm and competence of the Habitat East Bay’s staff. Simply stated, that’s fun to work around. A lighter side of ‘memorable’ occurred on the Martinez project. We had two AmeriCorps fellows assisting in the day-to-day reconstruction process. During college Spring Break in 2006, a group of nine young women and one young man from Northwestern University volunteered their time to fly to California and work on that project for a week before returning to classes. The AmeriCorps fellows now found it necessary to mentor the college women in each of their tasks throughout the week. They returned to productivity when the week was over. Moral to the story? There isn’t one. It’s just the way we grow up.
