It’s a tradition at HFHSTW to recognize, not only our wonderful group of volunteers, but to highlight a Faith Based Volunteer. This year, we couldn’t stop thinking about a gentlemen who HFHSTW has known for nearly ten years now, Dave Pashkevich a parishioner at Mary Queen of Peach Catholic Church. His smiling face is one you can’t forget once you have made his acquaintance. His consistent construction volunteer hours, his mission outreach in his parish, and his joyous spirit, serve as a reminder to all of us what we are here for. He is tireless in his support and effort for HFHSTW.

"I live in Mandeville and am the Mary Queen of Peace Habitat for Humanity ministry coordinator. I assemble a group (usually between 2-6 people) from the church the first and third Saturday of each month to assist Habitat STW with their builds. I've been leading the ministry for about 2.5 years now. Over the past year, I estimate that I have volunteered a little over 150 hours.

"In real life, I'm a civilian oceanographer working for the US Navy, having "retired" from 28 years of active duty Navy service in Jun 09. I work for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, CA as their liaison at Stennis Space Center, MS.

"My oldest daughter introduced me to Habitat for Humanity several years ago when she started doing it for high school service hours. I had said for years that I should give it a try but it took my daughter's encouragement to motivate me. I realized immediately after my first time volunteering that this added a wonderful new dimension and purpose to my life. Every hour I give to Habitat comes back to me in blessings from God. I definitely get more out of it than I give. Getting to know the future (and present) homeowners is a blessing in itself as they are wonderful and hard working people. Additionally, the fellowship with other volunteers, both local and visitors, is always rewarding. A nice thing is that volunteers don't have to have any skills or tools - Habitat provides it all! Come out and join us one day!"

Dave Pashkevich,
2009 Faith-Based Volunteer of the Year