Ron Kear has been a volunteer with Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity for more than 22 years.

He estimates that he’s helped build or rehab about 60 homes in that time.

Ron has led his share of construction teams over the years, and is always happy to lend a helping hand to other teams of which he’s not in charge.

Variety is the spice of life and Ron says he really enjoys when he gets to work on new home designs and all the new challenges that can come with them. His specialty is addressing the various nuances that can create stumbling blocks for even the most seasoned builders.

Ron attributes the fact that he and many other volunteers continue coming back to help build and rehab houses for Habitat because of the camaraderie and because they enjoy helping families who need a safe, decent place to live.

“I think it’s a matter of the people that you’re volunteering with, as well as the families who we’re supporting,” he explained. “It’s interesting that people on our team keep coming back and coming back, and that’s because they enjoy not just what we’re doing but who they’re doing it with. That’s really key to a volunteer team, I think.”

The most rewarding moment he has experienced while volunteering with Habitat came at a home dedication ceremony during which he heard a boy’s mother say to her son that he could now memorize his address because they finally had a permanent home of their own.

“He had been living in multiple houses and multiple apartments for years and this was the first time he was going to have that kind of stability. So that was a wonderful moment.”