“I also just really love the environment of Habitat for Humanity –everyone is really friendly and welcoming and open to new ideas. I’m having a fantastic time..” – Stephen Hart
Stephen Hart graduated from Gannon University with degrees in Theology and Biology. During his college years, Stephen was involved on campus as a resident advisor, teaching assistant, and research lab assistant. Stephen also travelled to Ndola, Zambia as a team leader with Habitat for Humanity and visited Port-au-Prince, Haiti for a service trip. He has worked as a Nursing Assistant in a UPMC Telemetry/Stroke Unit. Outside of these involvements, Stephen enjoys music, theatre, hiking, camping, and biking. He is serving at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh.
Sarah Slater: What surprised you most about Pittsburgh?
Stephen Hart: I really enjoy the woods, nature, adventure and that sort of thing. And I’ve found that Pittsburgh is a pretty nice city for someone who enjoys the outdoors. I really thought that I would hate the driving and the crowdedness. But instead I really enjoy the energy and the people. It’s really great.
Sarah: What have you enjoyed most about living in community?
Stephen: It’s nice to have people to go home to. In the evenings we all gather round and enjoy an episode of Dr. Who, or even just enjoy a snack together. We laugh a lot. And, I can be somewhat of an introverted person. But just sitting on the couch–I feel at peace with my new comrades.
Sarah: What do you enjoy most about your nonprofit partnership?
Stephen: I came in just as the volunteer coordinator, which is in itself a fairly big position, but I’ve had the opportunity to expand upon that and I’ve taken on some new responsibilities in project management. It’s not really something that I’ve done before but I think its something my skills lend themselves towards. I feel as though my own capacity is greater than the role I had been assigned.
I also just really love the environment there–everyone is really friendly and welcoming and open to new ideas. I’m having a fantastic time.
Sarah: Describe a typical day at your nonprofit partnership.
Stephen: Well, I’ll tell you. I usually want to get to work at 8, so I’ll probably get there at 8 or 8:30. I really enjoy that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh has some flexibility at the office. I appreciate that and it works well.
I usually do some administration tasks in the morning, checking emails and voicemail. Then when the office starts filling up, I dig into some of my more interesting projects. I certainly enjoy the camaraderie with the rest of the staff, everyone has a really good sense of humor which I appreciate. We’re pretty relaxed; sometimes we’ll go and get Butterfingers from the Family Dollar.
Usually in the afternoon our Re-Store [a store where people donate construction materials and it can be purchased for a discount] is open. They don’t have any staff except the manager. Since I’m so muscular, they usually have me help with the heavy lifting of the appliances. And then when the office starts to die down , I usually head home.
Sarah: What’s your favorite family meal?
Stephen: I feel like I could say curry, and that would really cover a lot of the meals we’ve eaten so far. My friends at the Graham House really enjoy curry powder
Story by PULSE Participant Sarah Slater.
Read more Participant Stories from Fellows about their experience in PULSE. If you would like to learn more about the PULSE program, please visit our Serve with Us page.
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