One of our wonderful House Leaders is Jim Nee. Jim has been working as a Habitat volunteer for approximately five years. Jim started as a Gray Ghost and quickly became a Crew Leader. After gaining experience in construction management, Jim was invited to be a House Leader. As a House Leader, Jim is responsible overall for volunteer work on the build site.
Jim’s early career included human resources work with a number of Federal agencies and the Navy Reserve. He retired from the position of Human Resources Officer for the Southeastern Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A self-professed desk jockey, Jim had no previous construction experience. A fellow member of the Holy Family Parrish, Randy Hinton, invited him to a Habitat Ghost Day. When Jim showed up on site, the Ghosts were working on siding preparation. He joined in and learned as they went along. Jim pointed out he did not need any specific construction skills to get started. “People on site show you what to do. They are very helpful and welcoming. You learn a lot … and you don’t have to pay for it.”
Jim’s wife, Jo, also volunteers for NW Metro Atlanta Habitat. She is one of the people who provide lunch during the Catholic Coalition’s annual Habitat builds. Jo has also helped Jim with some additional work done between normal build days.
Jim has enjoyed volunteering with Habitat. In addition to gaining new skills and meeting great people, he has the satisfaction of knowing that he has helped families in his community. He invites any prospective ghost to come out and join the fun.