The Care-A-Vanners prepare to raise the walls on a new Habitat home in Lee County.
Each year from November through April, Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties welcomes dozens of RV-traveling volunteers who roll in ready to build homes, communities, and hope. Known as the Care-A-Vanners, these volunteers work alongside community members on our build sites, lending their time and skills to help local families achieve affordable homeownership.
Habitat for Humanity International’s RV Care-A-Vanners program connects primarily retired travelers to service opportunities along their journeys. These volunteers provide reliable labor at Habitat affiliates across the country, keeping the motto “travel with a purpose” in mind.
“Their help is priceless,” Volunteer Coordinator Ashley Brady. “We can have anywhere up to 13 Care-A-Vanners at a time, and they stay for two-week periods. To have that dedicated, guaranteed help through those months – it’s truly invaluable.”
At Habitat of Lee and Hendry Counties, volunteers play a critical role in construction. With 60% of our homes built by volunteers and 54 home closings scheduled this fiscal year, the guaranteed support of Care-A-Vanners helps keep construction on track and strengthens our ability to serve more families.
For Terry Vermouth, joining the group was a natural extension to his volunteer work with his local Habitat affiliate in Raleigh, North Carolina. He and his wife, Kathie, are now completing their 11th home built with the Care-A-Vanners.
“We’ve been all the way from South Dakota, Colorado, a number [of affiliates] here in Florida, as well as in Tennessee and a couple other places,” Terry shared. “We definitely enjoy volunteering throughout the country. It allows you to meet other people, build for Habitat, and make a difference.”
The idea of traveling with purpose also resonates with Care-A-Vanner Jason Shreeram, who traces his commitment to service back to 1977, inspired by President Jimmy Carter. President Carter was a longtime advocate for affordable housing and a devout supporter of Habitat for Humanity since its inception.
Care-A-Vanners raise the walls of a Habitat home in Lee County.
“He has been a man who’s inspired me for my entire life,” Jason said. “I feel like he lived a true Christian life of giving and selflessness.”
After buying an RV in 2017, Jason officially began his own purpose-driven travels. “It fit exactly into what I wanted to do, which was to see different places and do things that gave back to the community,” he said.
Since then, Jason’s volunteer work has taken him everywhere from Northern Michigan to South Florida, with hopes of volunteering out west soon.
“There’s need everywhere,” he said. “As somebody who goes to different places, you see different types of need, but you also see that there’s a lot of community that comes together and rallies to help their community get a hand up.”
To our Habitat staff, the Care-A-Vanners’ dedication to traveling with purpose is both inspiring and humbling.
“They can go anywhere and do anything, but they choose to spend their free time with Habitat – giving back to communities that aren’t even their own,” Ashley said. “I think that’s a beautiful thing, and we’re just so grateful to be a part of this wonderful program.”
