YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Dozens of families depend on one of the most well known charitable organizations to give them a new home or repair the one they live in.
But now, Habitat for Humanity of York County is in desperate need of donations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the organization to cut it’s projects for this year from 56 back to 28.
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When you’re talking about a Habitat home, you’re talking about volunteers -- companies, church groups and others that help out. Many volunteers are older people, and they certainly don’t want them out on a job site right now.
The organization also does home repairs, but can’t go into people’s homes right now. It’s a perfect storm for organizations like Habitat.
The pandemic has caused a very long delay on projects that make people’s lives better.
“Each home build that we have, we probably have 300 to 400 volunteers who come out during that particular span of building, so if we have a huge reduction in those numbers, that’s gonna lengthen how long it takes to build, Tim Veeck with Habitat for Humanity said.
There are also two Habitat ReStores in the county and both have been shut down. Channel 9 learned they’ve already lost at least $100,000 in funding from the closure of those stores.
Channel 9′s Greg Suskin spoke to a woman who’s been waiting for her Habitat for Humanity home and now she doesn’t know when she will be moving in.
“Having this house being built is really a dream come true. I’m really happy about it," said Shakeedra Stevenson.
She was there on Hagins Street the day the foundation was poured and expected to call it home in early June. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“At the end of the day, I just have faith that it’ll get done and we’ll figure this thing out," Stevenson said.
At this point, there is no date for when the home will be completed and Stevenson can move in.
“I’m ready for what’s next to come, and I’m sure once we get over the coronavirius, we’ll go back to habitating this house," she said.
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