Barry Garrow offers advice to other Thrivent Financial members who may be considering taking part in a Thrivent Builds project but are afraid they lack helpful experience. "There are people here who had no talents; people who had 30 to 40 years of experience; and people who had moderate experience," he says.

Show up. Volunteer. Get involved.

Just say "yes"

As a long-term Thrivent Financial member, Barry Garrow had never worked on a Habitat for Humanity build before.  But when the opportunity to help came up, Barry answered the call. 

“My wife and I have taken youth groups on mission trips in the past.  This was the first year we didn’t have an opportunity to go because we had other commitments,” Barry says.  “And the good Lord blessed us with being able to do a mission at home.  It was great!”

When his cousin, Matt Garrow, a financial representative with Thrivent Financial, first asked Barry about being the project coordinator for the build, he didn’t say “yes” right away.  “I really didn’t have time to do this,” he remembers thinking.  “I absolutely did not have the time to undertake building a house for a lady with five kids in my neighborhood and I said ‘no’ at first.  The good Lord pushed me, and I finally said ‘yes.’  I should have said ‘no,’ but I said ‘yes.’” 

Now he offers advice to other Thrivent Financial members who may be considering taking part in a Thrivent Builds project but are afraid they lack helpful experience.  “There are people here who had no talents; people who had 30 to 40 years of experience; and people who had moderate experience,” Barry says.  “Show up.  Volunteer.  Get involved.  People will coach you, guide you, lead you, help you.  And you will learn.  You’ll paint a wall that you didn’t think you could get painted.  Or you may hang drywall that you’ve never hung before.  You may end up digging a hole."

“For the house we built, we were working under a timeline.  We had hundreds of volunteers and everybody gave just that much, because giving that much meant getting the house done on time,” Barry says.  “Show up.  Jump in.  Do something.  And just come with an open mind because somebody will take you under their arm, under their wing, and you will help.”