ESVA Housing Mission launches new website

The ESVA Housing Mission, an organization formed in late 2024 to provide critical home repairs for those in need, has launched a website with details on its mission and contacts for volunteering for projects, donating funds or applying for assistance. The website can be viewed at www.ESVAHM.ORG .

“It’s pretty simple, really,” said Don Taylor, board advisor for the ESVA Housing Mission. “For those who can’t afford essential home repairs, we want to make homes warm, safe and dry.”

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.

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 home owners.”

Major donations from local businesses and individuals kickstarted the organization and funded several projects in late 2024. In its first 18 months, the ESVA Housing Mission completed 26 projects with teams of volunteers from local businesses, churches and civic clubs. Another 25 are planned for 2026. The projects typically include wheelchair ramps for the handicap, roof or floor repairs and other essential needs for safety and comfort.

Donna Smith, chief executive officer of the Eastern Shore Area Agency on Aging, serves as the board chair for the ESVA Housing Mission. She says the two agencies complement each other and other groups on the Eastern Shore offering assistance.

“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.”

“We’ve had tremendous financial support and amazing volunteers to get to this point,” said Taylor, a 1966 Atlantic High School graduate who founded a similar group founded in Maryland in 2009 that completed over 1,000 projects over 15 years before he helped formed ESVA Housing Mission, “but we recognize there is still a great deal of need in Accomack and Northampton counties. I invite everyone to take a look at our new website to see how they can help or how they can apply for assistance.”

For more information on the ESVA Housing Mission, call 757-709-5468 or email Dawn Parks at [email protected].