TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — It's now the time to make your list and check it twice. For many families, a shelter is at the top of that list.
This Giving Tuesday, Habitat for Humanity Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are saying, why not help a family find their forever home?
"With the rental economy rising, the cost of items, cost of things rising, that money seems to just be flowing out the window without any control. And so programs like Habitat really helped with establishing stability for families, particularly financial stability for their futures, not just for those that are homeowners but for their families," said Callie Lupica, the Annual Funds Director for the Hillsborough County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
In 2022, nationwide, people gave an estimated $3.1 billion on Giving Tuesday. That's 15% more than in 2021.
But the need this year continues to grow. As we saw inflation increase, that almost impacted the cost of goods to build the homes. However, Habitat for Humanity set its sights on putting more families in homes.
"Last year, we finished about 16 brand new homes and 30 home repairs. Well, this year, we have a goal of 35 houses and 50 home repairs," said Lupica. "We're trying to finish by December."
But not everyone can help financially. Lupica explained there are other options.
"We have volunteer opportunities Tuesday through Saturday at our build sites. So, if you're interested in swinging a hammer, you can come out here and help us. You may also donate to one of our three restore locations if you're interested in helping out in a retail way," she added.
Giving Tuesday extends to Dec. 3 for them, ending with the Buccaneers football game.
While the money and time donated to Habitat will help people start their forever home journey, there's also a need for the people left rebuilding after disasters.
Mike Brown, the American Red Cross Regional Executive Central Florida and US Virgin Islands, says your help on Giving Tuesday can help a person during their worst moments.
"Giving season is really important to the Red Cross. We're not a government agency. So we rely on the generosity of American people to provide our services," he said.
For 140 years, the American Red Cross has been there after natural disasters, fires, and more. They're also there to prevent more avoidable disasters.
But this year, their need is also greater.
"We actually have increased costs in the last five years to the Red Cross. Due to the climate; the climate is making the storms more intense and more numerous. And that means we've got to have more intense and numerous disaster relief operations, more volunteers, more material, and more funding," Brown said.
Brown put it into context further. He says we're seeing more billion-dollar storms. Those are the storms where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion.
In the 1980's, we averaged about 3 a year. In the year 2023 alone, we saw 25.
"When you've lost everything, it doesn't matter if it's about a house fire or if you're one of thousands of people that experienced a hurricane. They need it right away. And every little bit helps. Every donation counts," he added.
If you want to donate the Habitat for Humanity, you can find the information here.
If you want to donate to the American Red Cross Central Florida and U.S. Virgin Islands, you can find that information here.
