The ninth annual competition culminated Tuesday with a fundraising reception and auction at the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading.
An old-fashioned bellows camera complete with a tripod, a toy train with an engine and caboose, and a floppy-hatted gnome were just some of the birdhouse designs entered in Habitat for Humanity of Berks County’s ninth annual Birdhouse Challenge.
The competition culminated Tuesday with a fundraising reception and auction at the DoubleTree Hotel in Reading.
More than 250 tickets were sold for the event, which is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the nonprofit that helps provide affordable homes for the local workforce population.
“We are still tabulating the final numbers, but after expenses, it’s safe to say the event will net more than $50,000 to support the mission of Habitat Berks,” said Doug Long, development director.
The evening’s agenda included a silent auction, a cork and bottle pull raffle, and the main event: the live auction of 25 birdhouses handcrafted by local artisans, students, businesses and organizations.
“These birdhouses are truly works of art,” said Timothy J. Daley, executive director of Habitat Berks. “It is not so much of a challenge anymore as it is an art show.”
The birds rarely get to use them, he said, as most of the winning bidders display the works in their homes.
Auctioneer Tracy Wagner of Wagner Auction Service, Shoemakersville, kept the bidding moving until each birdhouse was sold.
The birdhouse that brought the highest bid, $4,000, was crafted by Joshua Griffith, an 11th grader at 21st Century Cyber Charter School.
The piece, called “The Iris Chalet,” was inspired by the works of Vincent Van Gogh.
Griffith of Exeter Township crafted the wooden birdhouse resembling a Swiss chalet with the help of his father, David Griffith, and then painted the purple, blue and green floral design himself.
The pair began making birdhouses for the event when Joshua was 10 years old, Long said.
New for this year’s live auction were five pollinator houses, built by carpentry students from the Reading-Muhlenberg Career and Technology Center. The wooden houses designed for bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects were auctioned to donors who turned them over for placement in five nature gardens and parks throughout the county.
The event was also an opportunity to recognize individuals and organizations who have made a major impact on Habitat’s work and mission:
Distinguished Individual Award: Kevin DeAcosta, President/CEO, The Highlands at Wyomissing;
Volunteer of the Year: Melanie Casciano;
Community Partner: Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS.
Daley said the event is a great chance to get out for a few hours, socialize, enjoy good food and support Habitat’s mission of providing affordable housing and homeownership opportunities for working families.
The impact of this mission goes beyond building and rehabilitating houses and helping clients qualify for mortgages.
A stable workforce with stable housing builds communities, he said.
Studies by Habitat and others show stable and affordable housing is crucial for the well-being of children, he said, noting it plays a role in mental and emotional health, academic success and social development.
It is also an asset to area businesses that are losing workers who are forced to move frequently, due to the unaffordability of housing, Daley said.
“Workforce housing is our future,” he said, “and Habitat is the secret sauce, helping employers retain their talent and improve their bottom line, and all-the-while making home ownership affordable for their employees.”
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