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Habitat for Humanity sees big increase in donations

Posted at 6:20 PM, Jun 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-08 19:04:49-04

NORFOLK, Va. - While many people spent much of their spring at home because of COVID-19, putting off spring cleaning became much harder to do.

As a result, the Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roadshas benefited from a huge jump in donations this season.

"When it started to return to a new normal, people wanted to move on with their lives. Part of that is cleaning the house out and figuring out what to do with the old couch, the old stove," Habitat for Humanity of South Hampton Roads executive director Frank Hruska said. "People don't want it to go to landfills. They want to help other people.”

The organization receives things like furniture, appliances, building materials and houseware, which they sell to the general public.

The funds raised then helps Habitat for Humanity build affordable homes for low-income families in Hampton Roads, something that wasn't put on hold at the start of the pandemic after construction was named an essential business.

"We followed the CDC guidelines, no more than ten people on a job site, they stayed six feet apart from each other and they built houses," Hruska said. "Makes it a little bit more difficult, it slows us down, but it's a way to build houses and be safe at the same time.”

They're currently building a home in Virginia Beach and are about to begin building homes in Chesapeake and Suffolk.

"Right now there's a more of a cry for help than we've ever had in the local community," Hruska said. "If you have time, go volunteer somewhere. It'll make you feel better and get you out of the house."