Habitat for Humanity of Adams-Juneau County volunteer Jerry Schroeder was awarded Affiliate Volunteer of the Year at the annual Habitat Banquet in Wisconsin Dells. The state-wide Habitat for Humanity Banquet awards six Affiliate volunteers and two ReStore volunteers from around the state. Jerry, a retired civil engineer, is the chair of our Habitat chapter’s construction committee and has volunteered with Habitat for over eight years.

Jerry oversees the planning for every house we work on and personally makes sure that the many details of building a house are considered and attended to. This preparation work includes making formal, detailed bid specifications for excavation, concrete, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing contractors. These bid specifications allow contractors to donate a portion of the cost, so building these homes becomes a more cost-efficient process.

As building proceeds, Jerry remains a key contact for contractors and selected families when questions or problems arise. In addition to his hard work on the houses we build each year, he offers and operates his own equipment in tree removal, lot grading, lawn installation, and drainage installation. Jerry’s knowledge, creativity and professionalism over the past eight years have been key in our ability to build two new homes each year for low income working families.