Everyone deserves a place to call home, a place to feel safe, warm and protected. A place to eat a home-cooked meal, spend time with loved ones and rest their head after a long, busy day.

More importantly, this home should be affordable.

Unfortunately, the lack of affordable housing is an issue that affects not only the health of those who are without, but the economic well-being of our community as a whole as well. This week, however, it's time for Richmonders to dust off their hard hats and roll up their sleeves in order to turn the dream of affordable housing into a reality for numerous members of our community.

Richmond's first ever Affordable Housing Awareness Week kicked off Monday with a breakfast and symposium held at the Virginia Museum of Find Arts and will continue with various volunteer opportunities and events throughout the rest of the week.

More than 500 volunteers have already registered to give their time, including Mayor L. Douglas Wilder and members of his staff; employees from Wachovia, the event's Principal Donor; and participants from Central Virginia Baptist Ministries, who will be building a house for Habitat for Humanity today.

The Richmond Association of Realtors (RAR) has partnered its own nonprofit, The Partnership for Workforce Homes, along with several other community organizations to give as many Richmonders as possible the opportunity to meet the challenge of affordable housing.

These other nonprofits and community organization are ElderHomes Corporation, Better Housing Coalition, The Partnership for Workface Homes, Virginia Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation, Virginia Supportive Housing, Rebuilding Together of Richmond, Housing Opportunities Made Equal and Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity.

"The main component for the week is what we're calling 'A Day's Work for Workforce Housing,' which is where we are asking people to take a day off work any day during the week to volunteer," said Kelly Surmacewicz, director of communications for RAR.

"Many of the companies we approached were very receptive to giving their employees a paid day off; a lot of them have community initiatives anyways, so they were more than happy to let their employees be involved in one of our projects during the week."

Knowing it's not feasible for everyone to take a day off, RAR has provided employers with "A Day's Work for Workforce Housing" vouchers that employees can redeem with any housing nonprofit during the remainder of 2008.

Besides direct volunteer opportunities, Richmonders can also participate in a series of education events taking place over the week. On Wednesday, Grace & Holy Episcopal Church will host an Advocacy Luncheon where members of the General Assembly and housing professionals will offer a primer on how to lobby local and state government on behalf of housing affordability measures.

Rounding out the week, RAR will host its "Party with a Purpose" at Toad's Place on Thursday where everyone impacted by the week are encouraged to attend in thanking volunteers, sharing stories and exchanging ideas for future ventures.

"Affordable, safe housing is an issue in Richmond and it encompasses a lot of things other than just being able to buy a home, like the landscaping, beautification and adding to the environment," Surmacewicz said.

"It's also a really great opportunity for these other nonprofits to spread the message about what they do. I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with Habitat, but these other organizations add to the components of what makes a home safe and what makes it a place where people can live comfortably."

w For more information on Affordable Housing Awareness Week, volunteer opportunties available and special events calendar, visit affordablehousingrichmond.com.