Kathy Brown, a Habitat fixture for two decades and counting

Kathy Brown is the project manager for the Fairfield chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Her desire to give back to the community goes back many years. She was the oldest of six siblings, and remarked that 'It was a given that you ‘helped out' or volunteered at home.”

The Catholic school she attended encouraged volunteer activities, too. In eighth grade, she helped weekly at the nursing home, and freshman year she taught religious instruction to young, disabled adults.

'Then life got more serious and I was busy going and paying for college,” she said.

As a young mother and teacher, she helped with her kids' Scouting activities, and taught religious education for 19 years. One lucky weekend, she got to help with the Special Olympics.

'It always felt good to volunteer, so in my first week as an empty nester, I was invited to join Habitat for Humanity, that was 20 years ago,” she said. 'I loved working with my first family. They taught me so much and were very appreciative.”

Brown helped at The Lord's Cupboard food pantry and the Habitat ReStore as well. She said both were great experiences, but the bulk of her time is now spent as construction coordinator with Habitat, where she works with not just the partner family but the Fairfield High School students in the Building Tech class who perform a large share of the construction.

'It is a win-win,” she said. 'I get to share a skill I know and often learn how to get better. The challenging part is keeping up with high school students. The hour and a half per day goes by very fast, and hopefully they learn another aspect of construction.”

Brown said the experienced has warmed her heart, and 'helps me give back to a world that has given me opportunities for a safe, happy life.”

As a member of Habitat's board for two decades, Brown has helped build all but one of the organization's homes in Fairfield. She remembers her very first meeting well, because the rest of the board voted to make her the vice president. They liked that Brown was a schoolteacher, and the school is a good source of finding Habitat families.

As the organization's construction chair, Brown ensures that every element of the home is 'simple and decent,” which is Habitat's motto. She coordinates help from civic groups who wish to help in a home's construction. More and more, businesses are lending a helping hand by sending employees for an entire day of building. Some of those who have stepped up in recent years include Cambridge Investment Research, Bovard Studios and Aeron Lifestyle Technology. The Young Professionals of Fairfield consistently sends a team of volunteers to work on the house each year, too.