Chesapeake Housing Mission is celebrating 2016 as its most successful year ever, with the completion of 61 projects for residents of the Lower Eastern Shore, according to Don Taylor, executive director of the CHM board of directors.
This all-volunteer operation accomplished this with a total of 1,048 volunteers contributing more than 8,000 hours to help their neighbors. Volunteers included high school students, college groups, church members, civic clubs, local businesses, Appalachia Service Project teams and many more. In 2016, 36 different groups volunteered of which 18 were new to Chesapeake Housing Mission.
One recipient of a build in 2016 was a young man who had been struck by a car while crossing the street. Members of the Salisbury Rotary Club stepped in to volunteer for the build after hearing the young man could not leave the nursing home to return home until a ramp was built.
In 2016, the organization also marked the completion of its 200th project. In this case, the recipient was a young Salisbury man, who is now confined to a wheelchair as the result of a brutal attack.
Volunteers for the 200th build were members of the Salisbury City Police department, who this summer built a ramp at the man’s home, providing him with easier access in and out of his house.
Chesapeake Housing Mission will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, 1324 Belmont Ave., Salisbury. The public is welcome, but those planning to attend are asked to call 410-546-4534 no later than Friday, Jan. 13.
If you wish to donate or volunteer or for more information on Chesapeake Housing Mission, visit www.chesapeakehousingmission.org, call 410-546-4534 or email chmed@chesapeakehousingmission.org.
The mission of the Chesapeake Housing Mission is “to provide vital housing repair services through Christian mission to low-income families living in the Chesapeake Region, as well as transformational life experiences to those we serve, volunteers offering their service, congregations involved with the CHM program, and entire communities.”
