READING, Pa. – Over at the Reading Country Club, birdhouses were displayed in all shapes, sizes and styles Tuesday.
Behind each birdhouse, a strong symbolism.
“We worked to do the birdhouses because it’s an example of how important having a roof over one’s head is,” said Timothy Daley, executive director for Habitat for Humanity of Berks County.
All the money raised by Habitat for Humanity of Berks County goes right back into the community.
“It’s going into mortar. It’s going into building houses for people who are looking for an opportunity to improve their situation in life,” Daley said.
At the Reading Country Club, business leaders and community members bid in an auction, one birdhouse at a time.
“There are volunteers in a community who love to express their talent with building birdhouses of all different kinds and shapes,” Daley said. “Every year, they get more intricate. They get more beautiful.”
Local artist and contractor Key Underwood donated his very own piece.
“I went with a Tim Burton/Edgar Allan Poe kind of theme because those are things that I like,” said Underwood, artist and owner of Pop’s and Son’s Construction and Remodeling.
The birdhouses are works of art for a greater cause — addressing the housing crisis.
“The workforce housing is where you need to address it,” Daley said. “When somebody is making ($50,000), $60,000, and they can’t bring themselves and catch a break, under the Habitat programs, they’re able to own a home,” Daley said. “They’re able to get on with their lives.”
Habitat for Humanity helps dreams of home ownership come true.
“We’re trying to create a situation where that kind of financial concern is marginalized and affordable for the workforce population,” Daley said.
Because owning a home means dignity, stability and a road to a healthier future.
“It’s a great journey for not only us to see, but for the families to come out at the other end, and they’re excited about having control of their own future,” Daley said.