Each year, speakers at the Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) Conference receive a token of thanks from the organizing committee. This year, however, the usual gift of artwork was forgone in favour of helping out a worthy cause.

Each of the 23 presenters comprising the event’s technical program were given a donation in their name to the London, Ont., chapter of Habitat for Humanity. The total cheque of $1150 is now being used locally in the international, non-profit organization’s mission of creating homes for all.

"One of the committee members came up with the idea of making a donation in each speaker’s name to Habitat for Humanity," London chapter member Rudy Kotar explained on habitat-for-humanity-london.blogspot.com. "This charity was a good fit as it was in the same category as what our association is involved in and it had ties to the construction industry. After making several inquiries from Habitat, we had a plan and a way to make this idea become a reality."

However, the gift in speakers’ names was not the only donation coming out of the conference. The event’s organizing committee also instituted a rule that anyone whose cell phone interrupted a technical seminar would face a monetary fine that would be forwarded to Habitat’s London chapter.

Using volunteer labour and donations of money and building materials, Habitat builds (or rehabilitates) houses with the help of the intended homeowner families who then buy the residence at a no profit price tag. These families have their purchases financed with no-interest mortgages, and payments go into a revolving fund used to build more houses.

For more information on Habitat's efforts, visit www.habitat.london.on.ca.