They didn’t know each other. Their occupations were diametrically different. They had little in common. But it was their desire to help others by using their handyman skills that brought them together to form a service-based friendship that has lasted for nearly a decade.
Springfield volunteers Jack White, Ray Raber, and Bruce Pratte have been an inseparable trio for the better part of nine years, doing their part to address the affordable housing crisis in their hometown. Now that they are semi-retiring, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton is honoring their efforts by presenting them with the annual Frank Gorman Outstanding Volunteer Service Award.
“I didn’t know them at all when I got started,” said Bruce. “When you work together, there is always trial and error. When you see how people react to messing up, you get to know people pretty well. The camaraderie was definitely there. We enjoyed each other’s company. It was one of those things we kind of looked forward to.”
Jack, the group's comedian, enjoyed the banter almost as much as serving others.
“We’d make fun of each other and laugh at each other,” he said. “We got a good laugh out of everything. We enjoyed doing it for the people. Once you met them, you saw how much they needed help.” Then he laughed and said, “And it kept me off the streets.”
Added Ray: “It was just guys doing guy things, working on houses and helping people out. That’s the main thing.”
The three took different paths to this service-based friendship. For Bruce, a retired optometrist of over 50 years, it was an extension of a half-century-long passion that brought him to Habitat.
“I had heard about it and had done a little bit of volunteer work 5-10 years before I came on with them,” said Bruce. “Even as a teenager, I was doing some carpenter work on my own. When I did retire, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, and this was it. It came together, and it was just a win-win. It has turned out to be a great blessing.”
Ray, a civilian employee at Wright Patt Air Force Base who retired in 2015, said his desire grew out of a family legacy.
“My dad used to fix everyone’s issues in the family and in the church,” Ray recalled. “Back then, guys did everything. They had to be multi-talented. I’d used to follow him around on Saturdays; I guess I learned from that. He’d never take a dollar, either. That was not what he was in it for. He gave me the bug, I guess. It was a good bug to have.”
The trio would normally work weekdays, starting after breakfast and almost always finish at lunchtime. But during those limited daily hours, they helped with over a half dozen home rehabs and completed an estimated 25-plus critical repair projects through the years. But one experience was especially memorable for Bruce: a new home project on Clifton Avenue.
“I was looking forward to building a new house from the ground up and learning some new stuff,” Bruce said. “When you enjoy working with the people you work with, learning new things, and helping people out other than yourself, it’s a win-win. We felt what we were doing was worthwhile.”
Jack, a lineman, repairman, and manager for AT&T who retired in 2014, just wanted to make an impact.
“I saw that I didn’t have anything to do and wanted to help,” he recalled when asked why he did it. “We saw that what we did meant something. I thought about buying houses and doing them myself. But once I saw how this helped, that’s why I kept on doing it.”
Even though they are stepping away from the consistent weekday schedule, the three agreed that this trio of servant-hearted friends is not done helping their community completely.
“As long as we can do it, we’ll be around helping from time to time,” said Ray.
Why?
“It makes it a lot easier when you do stuff with guys you enjoy being with,” said Jack. “Wherever we went, when we left, we knew it was the best we could do.”
If you are retired and are looking for a great, active way to make a lasting impact on your community, call volunteer Director Krissy Day at 937-965-7679 or go to daytonhabitat.org/volunteer.
