By Mel Rubenstein

Contributing Writer

Sarah Barnard was born in Binghamton, New York, and grew up in Hallstead, Pennsylvania where she went to high school at nearby Blue Ridge. She received a bachelor of architecture degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY.

Barnard became a volunteer board member of the Central New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects. This is her second year of a two-year term on the board. In her position of director of community on the board, she directs membership events, and was chairwoman of the committee that planned this year’s Celebration of Architecture event at the Hotel Syracuse.

After working for an architecture firm in Syracuse for four years Sarah felt that she was missing something. She said, “After nearly four years as an intern architect, and my involvement with AIA CNY, I felt a strong desire to move beyond the office and return to the feeling of ‘helping people,’ much as I had done in my time as a chiropractic assistant after college. This desire led to my decision to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Syracuse Habitat for Humanity.”

VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) was founded in 1965 as a national service program to fight poverty in America. In 1993, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs.

Their website states, “Today, more than 46 million Americans live in poverty. The AmeriCorps VISTA program taps the skills, talents and passion of more than 8,000 Americans annually to support community efforts to overcome poverty.”

VISTA’s efforts are to build the organizational, administrative, and financial capacity of organizations that fight illiteracy, improve health services, foster economic development and otherwise assist low-income communities.

Syracuse Habitat for Humanity frequently hosts AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members. Syracuse Habitat for Humanity works in partnership with God and people everywhere, from all walks of life, to develop communities with people in need by building and renovating houses, so that there are decent houses in decent communities in which people can live. Since 1984 Syracuse Habitat for Humanity has built or renovated over 70 homes.

Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity homes are sold to partner families at no profit and are financed with no interest 30 year loans. To ensure commitment, Syracuse Habitat for Humanity requires homeowners to invest 300 volunteer hours in labor, as well as provide a $1,000 down payment. The houses are sold at zero percent interest, and with the first mortgage payment begins to build equity and credit for families who would not otherwise qualify for a mortgage due to their income level. The Syracuse Habitat for Humanity Restore was founded to help fund this home building effort.

The Syracuse Restore does this by accepting donations of new and used building materials (such as drywall, moldings, doors, siding, lumber, plumbing, hardware, sinks, toilets, bathtubs, showers, cabinets, countertops, roofing materials, electrical hardware, lighting, wall and floor covers and windows) and reselling them to the general public at a fraction of retail prices. The sale of these items to contractors and individuals is one income stream that helps to fund Syracuse Habitat for Humanity home building projects.

When Sarah Barnard found out that she could make a difference by serving with VISTA and Syracuse Habitat for Humanity by using her knowledge and skills to help those in disadvantaged circumstances, she knew this was for her.

But, she found out soon, that this was not going to be easy. She had to make a year-long full-time commitment to serve on a specific project at a nonprofit organization or public agency. During that year Barnard served 40 hours a week as a VISTA at Syracuse Habitat for Humanity in Restore Development. For that she received a low stipend, just below the poverty level. But, she was now going to help others, and she had the desire and means to do it.

During her VISTA service, Barnard traveled to places like Boston, Massachusetts and Talladega, Alabama for training seminars, where she met other dedicated people who she has stayed in contact with. Because Sarah had minored in Electronics Arts and Graphic Design in college, she was able to re-build the Syracuse Restore website that resulted in more volunteers, and more donations of building materials to the store.

Sarah was also highly involved with marketing the Syracuse Restore and took part in community events like the annual Home and Garden Show. Sarah’s activities in capacity building for the Syracuse ReStore implemented new policies and procedures to help the ReStore continue to improve after her VISTA service.

Sarah also volunteered on the committee for the Mr. Habitat annual fundraising event that was held at Drumlins last year on May 18th to benefit the Women Build program. Women Build helps women learn how to build and construct homes and learn general construction skills.

“Women build is extremely exciting in that it is not about excluding men, but celebrating women. The Women Build events provide the opportunity for women to take a proactive step in serving their communities. Volunteers work under the guidance of construction professionals, and alongside other volunteers and the future Habitat homeowners, to get the job done,” Sarah said.

After completing that first year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, and with her background in architecture, Sarah took a paid part time job at Syracuse Habitat for Humanity as a Construction Systems Specialist. She continues to serve on the Mr. Habitat committee, and enjoys working with the wonderful staff and volunteers at Syracuse Habitat.

When not engaged in activities for VISTA and the Syracuse Restore, Sarah, with her background in architecture helping, is busy renovating her house in Jamesville, that was built in 1913, with her boyfriend, Adam.

For volunteer information contact Lisa Palleschi at [email protected] or 315-422-2203.

To recommend someone with a stellar record of volunteering to be featured in this column contact Mel Rubenstein: [email protected] or 315-682-7162.