Leonard Tom
Leonard has been a faithful volunteer since 1992, donating over 350 hours of volunteer labor on the Richmond, Alameda, 105th Ave, 82nd Ave and Fruitvale sites. In addition, he has served on East Bay Habitat’s Board of Directors since 1997, logging in over 250 hours at monthly meetings. Thank you Leonard for your dedicated service to East Bay Habitat.
What brought you to Habitat?
I have a long-term history with low-income housing, having studied it in school, sat on another non-profit housing Board and worked on housing policy in the Bay Area. I have some background in architecture and I enjoy woodworking and carpentry. EBHFH gave me an opportunity to bring those things together and help some people at the same time.
Can you recount a funny story that has occurred on the construction site?
I don’t have a specific story but I do fondly recall the dogs that some of the site leaders used to bring on to the project. The dogs were always looking for food.
What motivates you to continue to volunteer with Habitat?
Habitat intrigues me because it is primarily a grassroots kind of movement. Habitat is people who care about creating homeownership opportunities. Habitat is also about people who are willing to invest in themselves and make an extra effort to improve their situation. Habitat isn’t about big business or big government or big money. The need for what Habitat provides is enormous. Sometimes the goal seems unattainable. But I guess that’s a part of the challenge that keeps me involved.
What have been your most memorable experiences on the job site?
There are two job site experiences that are most memorable to me. The various Build-A-Thons have been most impressive. I recall as many as two hundred people working on six buildings at the same time. Controlled chaos seemed to reign. Friendly competition and good will were the order of the day. The other side of the coin is working on a day with relatively few people on site. With the right combination of site leaders, AmeriCorps staff and volunteers a lot of progress would be made. I would learn a few new homebuilding skills and share a good experience with a happy crew.
If you could be any tool on the construction site what tool would you be? Why?
A chop saw because it is very quick and precise and can be very productive if set up properly.
What is your favorite job on site?
I guess framing and flooring would be the most immediately and visibly satisfying task for me. It occurs fairly quickly, requires a lot of teamwork and the results of your work are pretty impressive by the end of the day.
