BUFFALO (WBEN - Brendan Keany) - Eight Days of Hope is in the middle of a massive service project that aims to fix homes for people in Buffalo.
"We travel the country, usually after natural disasters, and help families rebuild their homes for free," said Steve Tybor, the president and founder of the organization. "Usually, they're families that didn't have the right insurance or no insurance, and they have nowhere to turn."
However, aside from the occasional blizzard, Buffalo isn't really an area that's prone to natural disasters - so why is Eight Days of Hope in Buffalo with more than 1,000 volunteers? The organization, which was started in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, but they recently opened a Northeastern Satellite in Buffalo, so they now plan on serving local every year.
"Every year for eight days in July, we're going to focus on a district in the City of Buffalo - there's nine of them - and this year, we picked the University District," said Tybor. "What we're doing is we're helping 100 families with free repairs to their homes. Volunteers have come from 32 states, including Western New York and Canada, and today about 1,000 volunteers are helping 80 families with certain projects on their house."
Harold Dawson is a team leader from Ohio, and he's giving up his full-time job in the fall to become a full-time volunteer with Eight Days of Hope. He says his life has been changed drastically throughout his work with the organization, and he has nothing but positive things to say about Buffalo.
"Buffalo has been great, man. These people here are amazing," he said. "I was a little worried when we came here, just because it's a different culture from what I'm from, but these people are amazing.The love that they've shown us, and the love that we feel for this community is amazing."
Tybor, who hails from the Western New York region says it's an honor to return home to serve his community.
"To be serving in the community that I call home, I grew up in, is truly emotional," said Tybor. "I walked these streets as a kid, and my first job was only a few blocks down the road. It touches my heart to see so many people from the Buffalo community and from all over the country who are willing to give their time and talents to bless those in need. I am beyond grateful to be a part of something so meaningful."
Eight Days of Hope is looking for volunteers for any of the days throughout their remaining time in Buffalo. Head to their website to learn more.
