Welcome to HabiCorps!
Thank you for your interest in Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake’s workforce development program, HabiCorps! Read below to hear more about our program, meet our partners, and apply to this exclusive program!
ARE YOU READY? Join us and become one of the few who make the life-changing decision to partner with us to bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope.
ready to learn more? join us for a free information session!
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HABICORPS at a glance
BI-WEEKLY
LIVING STIPEND
10.5 MONTHS
HANDS-ON TRAINING
$6,895
EDUCATION AWARD
HEALTH CARE
& BENEFITS
Service Beyond Measure
ready to learn more?
Free info sessions to come
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Talk to a graduate
What have you learned with HabiCorps?
“I have learned how to put in windows, lay concrete, how to put in insulation, drywall, and how every part of a house works with the other from heating to electrical to plumbing. In theory, I understand how an entire house is built in just a couple of months. I want to continue on with that.”
What’s something that people may not know about the program?
“I had great instructors – they taught me about houses, but also about life. It was like family. Habitat taught me that no matter how lost you become, there’s always a way. Right now, I have a skill. After the program, I was able to find employment with a company that does remodeling. It helped me with dreams.”
What would you tell someone who was hesitant to apply for the program?
“I tell everyone – not just young people! Because most programs are just for young people – but not HabiCorps. Anyone who is lost or needs to find a way, with some guidance or skills, apply to HabiCorps. It changed my life, and it might change yours.”
“It changed my life, and it might change yours.”
What does being a HabiCorps Trainee mean to you?
“Baltimore is a great city as long as you stay on your path and your goals. But when your path gets diverted or you take a break, sometimes you can’t get back on that path again. HabiCorps is making is possible for my goals to come true.”
What does the path forward look like for you?
“Life looked so bleak to me before HabiCorps and now it just gives me hope that anything is possible. After I finish my training, I think I want to attend community college and study to become a master electrician or HVAC.”
ready to learn more? join us for a free information session!
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how does it work?
HabiCorps began as an effort to support local communities, strengthen our organization and address needs in the construction industry simultaneously. We saw that many of the communities we worked in needed more job training and employment opportunities and quickly realized that Habitat was in a unique position to provide them offering a wide range of hands-on training opportunities in an increasingly understaffed, yet well-paying industry. With funding from the Governor’s Office of Service and Volunteerism, and crucial support from Aerotek, an Allegis Group company and the Skip Viragh Family Foundation, HabiCorps was born.
Financial support assists with operating costs and an emergency fund for trainees, providing financial assisstance to trainees experiencing extreme hardship.
We thank the key supporters who have made this possible, including Aerotek, the France-Merrick Foundation, the Middendorf Foundation, the Maryland State Department of Housing and Community Development, the Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation, and the Bunting Family Foundation.
- Private Foundations – 48%
- Corporations – 24%
- Public Grants – 28%
Thank you to all our HabiCorps & AmeriCorps members,
past and present!
ready to learn more? join us for a free information session!
stay tuned for more!
Paving the way for women in trades
A 2020 report from the Greater Baltimore Committee on demographic profiles of the top 20 family-supporting occupations found that 98% of electricians, 97% of carpenters, and 99% of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters were all filled by male professionals. Workforce development programs like HabiCorps aim to dispel gender-based disparities in technical fields by opening the door to opportunities for trainees of all backgrounds and demographics.
What was your favorite part of the program?
I really enjoyed the classroom training…we built a shed, we learned about different kinds of roofs, even how to read a blueprint.
Mr. Rick was a great teacher, so I learned a lot. I like to be hands-on, I learn better. You can read all day long, but until you put it into practice, you really don’t understand how much really goes into it.
How does it feel to be representative of women in the construction trade?
It’s a good feeling. Not only that, but as a Black woman, my ultimate goal is to become one of those general contractors out there.
What was the program like?
“The program all-in-all was a very great experience,” says Star, who completed the 10.5-month program in the spring. “You’re getting paid to learn, and getting paid to acquire a skill, or multiple skills, because you’re learning a little bit of everything.”
What do you plan to do in the future?
For Star, providing a safe place for individuals and families to call home is more than a worthy cause – it’s also a dream that she wants to pursue using the skills learned from the program. “I want to build a tiny home community for the homeless because it’s hard for them to get off the street and find a job when they don’t have an address.”
Interested in HabiCorps?
Contact us!
Interested in learning more about the HabiCorps Workforce Development Program or know of a hardworking individual who may be a good fit?
Please contact HabiCorps staff at habicorps@habitatchesapeake.org
