Tuesday night, Clive Rainey, Habitat for Humanity’s first volunteer, joined volunteers, NOAHH staff, and neighbors to speak about faith, volunteering, and more on site at Build-A-Thon after a long day working hard on site on Ray St. at one of our BAT houses.
Clive joined HFHI on April 1, 1977, six months after its founding. Clive worked for 2.5 years with founders Millard and Linda Fuller in the early days doing whatever was needed.
After starting Habitat’s work in two African nations during a four year visit starting in 1979, Clive returned to Americus, Georgia to serve for the next 6 years as Africa director, starting and overseeing Habitat’s work in 12 more African countries. In 1989, Clive joined HFHI’s Development Department to do fundraising work, and in January 2000, he began a program called The 21st Century Housing Challenge, which would become the seed of today´s Neighborhood Revitalization efforts. In 2004, Clive became a full-time speaker, promoter and fundraiser for HFHI and its affiliates worldwide.
Clive officially “retired” in June 2010 and moved to Guatemala, where he serves on the Guatemala HFH Board of Directors, builds with Global Village groups and maintains an active speaking schedule. He also actively pursues his hobby of birding. Clive has also “adopted” a family with whom he spends time daily when at home in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala.
This week, he’s been on site volunteering like he used to, and on Sunday night, he helped with the Pass the Hammer celebration on the Creole Queen, noting the inspiring work of the AmeriCorps, who he sees as the next generation of Habitat leaders.
