Individual Profile: McKinley Albert
McKinley Albert joined the Hartford Habitat staff in 2009 as the Private Grants Manager working with corporations and foundations. She is now one of Hartford Habitat’s Development Officers and besides raising money, McKinley also focuses on increasing awareness regarding Hartford Habitat’s mission.
McKinley defines Habitat’s mission as working in partnership with hard working, low to moderate income families to create affordable homeownership opportunities. McKinley feels those opportunities are also a way to help change an individual’s life and the lives of their family.
“Many of our homeowner families pursue higher forms of education, look for better employment opportunities, and so much more.”
McKinley’s most moving and valuable experience happened when she wrote her first grant at Hartford Habitat and convinced the donor to volunteer at the worksite so they could actually see what Habitat does.
“To have the donors say thank you so much for “allowing us” to come and build with you was the most moving thing for me because I know what an impact it makes and hearing it from the donors makes is even better.”
McKinley donates money to the Multiple Sclerosis Society every year because her grandmother has lived with the disease. However, it is difficult to see the difference her money is making. On the other hand, she feels that when donors give to Hartford Habitat, donors can physically see the change as the house gets built and see a person’s life changes.
In years to come McKinley Albert would like to see Hartford Habitat increase its building capacity. She believes Hartford is a great city, and turning renters into owners will pump much needed tax dollars into Hartford’s economy.
She greatly appreciates the help of the volunteers and donors because without them, Hartford Habitat’s work would not be possible. McKinley hopes people who have not volunteered before take a day to give back to their communities and volunteer on the Hartford Habitat worksite. It is truly an amazing experience.
“We have about 5,000 volunteers a year and they are all willing to give their time to help us build. The more volunteers we get, the more people want to donate, the more houses we can build the more lives we can improve.”
McKinley lives in West Hartford with her husban Justin and their dog Crisco.
Get Involved
Myths & Truths
MYTH: Habitat for Humanity was started by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
TRUTH:Habitat for Humanity International was started in Americus, Ga., in 1976 by Millard Fuller, along with his wife, Linda. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are longtime Habitat supporters and volunteers who help bring national and international attention to the organization’s house-building work. They lead the annual Jimmy Carter Work Project to help build houses and raise awareness of the need for affordable housing. Since the first work project in 1984, more than 2,000 houses have been built in conjunction with JCWP events.
Hartford Area Habitat for Humanity - a proud Equal Opportunity Employer.