By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Habitat for Humanity in St. Joseph, amid fundraising concerns, has had to work hard to get out of a hole created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Executive Director Shay Homeyer says this year’s fundraising efforts exceeded its goal, but it is still working hard to get out of the hole from last year.
"Our fundraiser was great, we met our goal, we actually exceeded it," Homeyer tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "But we're still trying to dig out of that COVID pandemic."
Homeyer says aside from that hole created by the pandemic, supply chain issues have also limited what Habitat for Humanity can do.
"Being down on the fundraising, it takes us from typically doing three homes, down to one," Homeyer says. "So, we're just looking for more funding so we can support what our mission is."
Habitat for Humanity in St. Joseph has been building homes for the poor for years now.
Homeyer says that to decide who these homes go to, individuals are reviewed by a selection committee.
"We pre-screen for people who are of lower income, who might not otherwise be able to afford a home on their own, and we give these hard-working individuals the opportunity at home ownership" Homeyer explains. "And typically, these are the people that are the grout of our community, they're the front-line workers, in retail, or maybe at a restaurant."
A fundraising deficit isn't the only thing affecting Habitat for Humanity in St. Joseph. Problems with the supply chain has also had an impact.
Homeyer says the supply chain frustrations have prompted Habitat to build a storage facility to house construction supplies.
She says that right now they don't have the capacity to store supplies, but with the help of donors to build this facility, they will.
"Then we would be able to get truckloads of supplies through Habitat for Humanity International at a much greater discount, helping our donated dollars go further in the community," Homeyer says.
Homeyer says having a storage facility would be an immense help for Habitat.