True Stories
"Helping Hands" Volunteer Profile-Zack Weinstock
While some of his peers may spend their weekends sleeping in or hanging out, Trinity Preparatory School graduate Zack Weinstock has always been easy to find on Saturday mornings: wielding a hammer, paintbrush, caulking gun or tape measure at our build sites.
A stalwart volunteer since the ninth grade — “Once I started volunteering, I never really stopped,” he says — Zack can claim seven Habitat houses to his credit.
Starting classes at the University of Miami in fall 2010 as a business major, he chose his college carefully. “Weather was a big factor in my decision to go to UM; I didn’t want to go to a school where it snows. Also, I didn’t want to go to a school that was so huge that I’d get swallowed up.” A big sports fan, Zack is gearing up to root for the ‘Canes football fan.
“I really enjoy volunteering with Habitat. It’s also a good thing because it provides for the community. So it’s a win-win situation,” Zack says. He plans on looking up the Habitat affiliate in south Florida once he settles in to establish ties.
Special thanks to Trinity Prep, one of Habitat for Humanity of Winter Park-Maitland’s major sponsors, for their unwavering support by raising funds to build our houses and supplying the dedicated, enthusiastic volunteers who do so much of the dirty work.
Best of luck in college, Zack, and thanks for all that you do for the community.
"Helping Hands" Volunteer Profile- Ann Porter and Dale Thompson
You can call the story of Ann Porter and Dale Thompson, two of our steadfast volunteers, love at first (Habitat build) site. They met at the first home they each started working on. Assigned to attach the lower gray board on the front of the house, they hit it off. Dale asked Ann out a month later, and they've been together ever since. That was two years ago.
They recently completed their sixth home together (875 English Court), and plan on returning in the fall to start work on number 7. They can always be counted on to roll up their sleeves and pitch in wherever they’re needed during our Saturday morning builds.
Ann, who lives in Maitland, and Dale, an Orlando resident (he also volunteers at Leu Gardens as a docent), run Thompson Partners International. The company, which they started together, helps find financing for commercial projects like hotels, mixed-use, resorts.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Kassi Bernard at 407-645-4408 or kbernard@habitatwpm.org.
