On the Day of the Event

 

Before the Event:

  • I get to the site an hour early, bringing all the tools and materials.  Once there, I create bags or boxes or piles of tools and the proper amount of materials each team leader will need.  For instance, the team putting blankets on the water heaters will have a pile with 1 or 2 utility knives, the water heater blankets, some foil tape (always good to have extra tape just in case)
  • I label each pile with the team leader's name (written big) so the team leader can just find the tools and materials s/he needs and get to work.
  • I make sure each pile is far enough from the other piles that no team leader is going to get confused about where one pile ends and the other begins. If all the materials and tools are in a big pile or scattered all over the work site, it never fails that, for instance, the band joist team walks off with all the rigid insulation, so the attic hatch team wastes time trying to find the insulation.  Separating the tools and materials speeds up the work enormously.
  • I ask each team leader to arrive 30 minutes ahead of time so I can make sure to show each of them the area they will be working on and discuss any questions they have.  I would hate to have them insulate the wrong water heater, etc.

At the start of the event, the group gathers together and I:

  • Introduce Cambridge HEET and tell why we are doing the barn-raising (to fight climate change, help our neighbors, teach volunteers skills they can use in their own homes and pass on to others)
  • Ask volunteers to use the skills they learn at home to decrease their energy bills 
  • Remind everyone to stay safe and to be respectful of the home
  • Ask the team leaders to introduce themselves and the work they are doing (including what it will be like and any safety concerns and how many volunteers they need)
  • Have the volunteers walk over to whichever team leader they want to work with

During the event, the home owner and I walk around constantly, checking out what each team is doing and making sure they are doing the work well.  I also check that the teams have the tools and materials they need, that they know where the bathrooms are, and that they have water if they are thirsty.

About a half an hour before the event is over, I tell everyone to start wrapping up soon.  I ask them to bring all tools and materials back to one central spot and to clean up any other messes, as well as move furniture back.

After all the work is completed, I walk around the house and make sure everything is the way it should be.