Habitat for Humanity's Brush With Kindness Program in Living Color This Week

Volunteers with Habitat for Humanity's Brush With Kindness Program worked this week in Manassas to assist their neighbors in need.

The team is working to repair a bay window, roof leaks and drywall in the home today, the final phase of a two-day project, Tiffanie Lampasona, programs coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park said in a press release.

 This is the fourth project for the team since July.

That month, a disabled mother and daughter living in Manassas received a helping hand through A Brush with Kindness.

A benevolent, 10-member team from Grace United Methodist Church didn’t mind working two-days in the July heat to aid Christine Green and her daughter Victoria Knox, who live together in a home that had fallen into disrepair over the last 18 years, Lampasona said.

Because of their illnesses and the cost of medications, the women were unable to maintain the home, according to a press release.  

Gary Powell, Habitat for Humanity’s construction crew leader, led the group with the help of David Wurst, a former Habitat for Humanity board member and current member of Grace United Methodist Church.

Grace United sponsored two A Brush With Kindness projects since 2005.

“Our church is deeply committed to helping people and working with Habitat for Humanity and their family partners. Seeing the joy on people’s faces when the work is complete just makes our day and is deeply fulfilling,” Wurst said.   

 Green and Knox applied for Habitat for Humanity’s A Brush with Kindness program after hearing about it from a neighbor, according to the press release.  Grace United Methodist Church put together a sponsorship for the project which provided funding and volunteer labor to complete the work.

A Brush With Kindness focuses on exterior repairs for homeowners. The repairs increase safety and weatherizes the homes.

During the Green-Knox project, the group installed a new storm door, repaired and replaced old window sills and installed new weather stripping. The team also cleaned and re-attached gutters, repaired an unsafe deck, repaired a hole in the living room floor, installed a new latch on a window, sealed holes around the home where mice were able to enter and installed motion sensor lights by the front and back doors.

When the worked was completed, Green thanked Habitat for Humanity. “[The volunteers] were a fine group,” Green said.  “They worked very hard in the heat. We are very impressed with the kindness of each volunteer’s helpful hands for people in need of help.”

For more information on volunteering, visit habitatpwc.org/volunteer. To apply for home repairs, contact Tiffanie Lampasona, programs coordinator, at 703-369-6708 or tlampasona@habitatpwc.org.

About Habitat for Humanity of Prince William County, Manassas & Manassas Park

Habitat for Humanity’s work is accomplished at the community level by affiliates—independent, locally run, nonprofit organizations. The Prince William area affiliate coordinates all aspects of Habitat home building, rehabbing and repair in the area, according to a press release from the affiliate.

The Prince William area affiliate built, rehabbed and repaired 77 homes, providing safe and livable home environments for 215 people. To learn more about the local affiliate, visit habitatpwc.org.

 About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes all people dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Since 1976, Habitat built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people, according to a press release.  For more information, visit habitat.org.