Volunteer Contact: Volunteer Desk (650)568-7342 volunteer@peninsula habitat.org More Profiles Home Volunteer Profiles Bob Siederer Regular Volunteer Regular Volunteer Says Working with Other Volunteers and Habitat Family Members Keeps Him Coming Back Bob Siederer is a man of many talents. A teacher, wood worker and computer guru, he joined Peninsula Habitat for Humanity's volunteer team five years ago, and had no idea he would become the skilled construction worker he is today. "I remember thinking about volunteering with Habitat after a friend from Miami spent a week planting flowers at a local construction site," Bob said. "She was the first person I knew who'd volunteered with Habitat and it sounded like a great experience. I asked her a bunch of questions, but wasn't sure I could devote an entire week to volunteering." Although Bob was interested in volunteering with Habitat, it wasn't until he joined a group called "Meeting for Good" that he finally got involved. "'Meeting for Good' was a singles organization that provided volunteers to charities," he said. "When I joined the group and learned that they worked with Peninsula Habitat for Humanity, I signed up." Siederer initially volunteered once every other month and then gradually increased his participation until now he volunteers twice a week. With his previous woodworking experience, it wasn't long before the Site Building Manager asked him to be a volunteer team leader. "Dawn asked me to be a team leader during the 2002 Raise the Roofs event," he said. "I was surprised because I'd only volunteered five or six times before that and didn't think I knew enough to teach anyone. Dawn said not to worry, that she'd teach me what I needed to know for the day." When Raise the Roofs was over, Bob had a new perspective on Habitat. "To see the amount of work that went on behind the scenes really impressed me and told me a lot about Peninsula Habitat for Humanity," he said. "I really admire and enjoy working with an organization that's streamlined and accomplishes so much." Five years and two Raise the Roofs events later, Bob has participated in almost every aspect of constructing a Habitat home. "I've learned so much about what goes into building a house," he said. Everything I've learned about construction, I've learned by working with Peninsula Habitat for Humanity." Bob regularly leads teams of day volunteers on tasks like drywall, framing and interior trim. He also contributes to Habitat's construction training program by documenting the processes volunteers follow to complete tasks. "Given my education background, it seemed like a good idea to capture what Dawn was teaching us," he said. "So, I offered to create a library of instruction materials for the AmeriCorps members and regular volunteers." When asked, Bob said the opportunity to utilize his construction and teaching skills while working with Habitat's AmeriCorps members, volunteers and family members gives him a tremendous sense of satisfaction and motivates him to keep volunteering. "Working with day volunteers reminds me of my teaching days," Bob said. "You see the light bulb go on over a student's head, and it's really enjoyable, especially if it's a difficult concept. It's fun to see volunteers and family members get better at a task. It's also great to work with the families - to see the effort they put in and their gratitude as we help build their houses."