Founding member of Habitat for Humanity still designing kitchens at 96 years old
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Habitat for Humanity has been building homes from the ground up since 1984. It’s an all-volunteer non-profit that donates these homes to the community in need.
"As you had time, people came and you just fit it into whatever needed to be done that day. And then the next week you come back, and a lot of things have happened, and you fit it in again,” Otto Muller-Girard, a founding member, explained. “We started building houses that were one story, built houses that were accommodating, handicapped people. And so they all had different configurations. So about 2002, it kind of exploded into having a lot of different designs and inventing more cabinet types to put into the kitchens."
What you need to know
- The Habitat for Humanity has been building strength and resiliency through providing the community safe places to call home since 1984
- Otto Muller-Girard is a founding member who started volunteering in his 50s through church
- He's designed 122 kitchens since 2007, and his most recent was just last year at age 95
Muller-Girard started volunteering back in the 80s through his church. The team built many things without any power tools. Still working as an engineer in his 50s at the time, his role grew to be a lead designer for the organization's cabinets.
"I’ve done that all my life — designed things," he said.
Cabinet production kicked off in 2002. He was one of the leaders pioneering the mission and bringing in a strong team of dedicated volunteers.
"In that 22 or 24 years that we've been building cabinets, we generate about 12 cabinets, 12 kitchens a year. So that’s quite a few cabinets that we’ve built over the years. And it’s nice to see them go out into the houses," said team leader Norm Lurie.
Muller-Girard has designed 122 kitchens since 2007.
"They’re like my children; I love them all," he laughed.
He designed his most recent kitchen just last year — when he was 95 years old.
"It's wonderful to be able to see somebody of that generation that has been able to do physical things like that for so many years. He's got a fantastic attitude," admitted Richard Hochman, a newer volunteer.
"He's a great teacher, and he designed all this stuff," said Ken Sechrist, a long-time volunteer at Habitat for Humanity. "We have to give tribute to ... he’s a guy, his age, doing what he’s doing, still laying out kitchens."
Muller-Girard has contributed quite a bit throughout the years. At 96 years old, he's less of a handyman these days, but he’s still excited to help out and give back however he can.
"He might be helping us out again with his CAD system. Just depending. If he wants a little work, I have some more work for him to do," Lurie chuckled.
"It's fun, it's really fun," Muller-Girard smiled and said. "It brings back all those memories of the past, you know? Because we've been going together a long time."
Original Article: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2025/06/06/building-homes-for-decades
