ESVA Housing completes first home repair project

Pictured: A team of volunteers from Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital helped ESVA Housing complete its first housing project by building a wheelchair ramp for a Bloxom household on Sept. 21.

By Bill Sterling

The ESVA Housing Mission, a new nonprofit on the Eastern Shore of Virginia that provides critical home repair for those in need, completed its first project Sept. 21st in Bloxom, building a wheelchair ramp for a family with a disabled member in the household.

The new agency was kickstarted with a $10,000 donation from Perdue Foods announced at a recent presentation at the Eastern Shore Community College. ESVA Housing is a Christian mission organization dedicated to leveraging volunteers to help their neighbors in need.

“This is an important day on the Eastern Shore of Virginia,” said Bel Holden of Perdue in opening remarks at the gathering of community leaders. “Our aim is not to replace any agency but to add to the work already being done. We are excited about the possibilities in supporting those who live in poverty.”

The ESVA Housing Mission is based on a similar group founded in Maryland in 2009. The Chesapeake Housing Mission serves the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland and has completed more than 1,000 critical home repair projects in Somerset, Dorchester and Wicomico counties, including repairing roofs, floors and steps and building wheelchair ramps.

Don Taylor founded Chesapeake Housing Mission after taking several trips to the Appalachian region to work on homes in impoverished regions. A Salisbury resident, Taylor realized he could do the same work near his home due to the high levels of poverty on the Eastern Shore.

Now, Taylor, a 1966 graduate of Atlantic High School, is the board advisor for the new agency to do the same work in Accomack and Northampton counties.

Statistics show that of the 14,152 households in Accomack County, 2,051 are at or below the poverty level. Of the 5292 residences in Northampton, 853 are at or below poverty.

Studies also show that an investment in safe homes has over a 200 percent return on reduced medical costs from falls and injuries. Falls were reduced by 87%. Taylor adds that no price can be placed on the feeling of bring people together to help their neighbors in need. “I promise you: the more you do, the more you want to do,” said Taylor.

Jennifer Shelton Barnes, a board member who works with Riverside Hospice, says she has been in many homes that badly need the repairs now being offered by ESVA Housing. “The truth is any of us are only one fall away from a different life. Making homes safer for those who can’t afford to make repairs brings hope and dignity to our low-income homeowners.”

Taylor said ESVA Housing is looking for a pool of volunteers to help with the construction of ramps or repairs on a home. Supervision is provided at the building site to help those with no construction experience. Volunteers can come from civic clubs, churches, schools, individuals and any other group willing to donate a few hours to help their neighbors.

Taylor added that the typical project takes approximately six hours, and 12 to 15 volunteers are needed. No group is obligated to work on all the projects. They can take on whatever their schedule allows. “The goal is to attract a large enough pool of volunteers so that the projects can be completed without infringing on the volunteer’s private time,” said Taylor.

Three projects are already in the works. Taylor said if you are unable to help with construction projects, donations of any amount will help fund the projects. Contributions can be mailed to John Fiege, Treasurer, ESVA Housing, PO Box 277, Onancock, Va. 23417. Fiege hopes the organization will raise over $50,000 in 2024, with $20,000 already in the bank or put to work.

Donna Smith of the Eastern Shore Area Agency on Aging serves as the board chair with John Fiege, a certified financial planner, the treasurer, and John Custis, an attorney, serving as the secretary. In addition to Taylor, Holden and Barnes, other board members are Chad Saunders, Mozilla Francis, Nadine Greenly, Althea Pittman and Vanessa Johnson.

If interested in participating, contact Donna Smith at [email protected], phone 757-442-9652, Jennifer Shelton Barnes at [email protected] or call our voice mailbox at 757-709-5468.