Have a Heart: Home access and repair group planning benefit

Tickets to the Have a Heart Fundraiser are $100, all-inclusive, and can be purchased through flhf.betterworld.org or by check written to and dropped off at the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation at any time during business hours before the event; tickets will not be sold at the door, and you must be 18 or older to attend.

“[This event is] to celebrate the two organizations [Fluvanna Housing Foundation and Louisa Housing Foundation] becoming one 20 years ago, and creating more awareness in the community,” Kim Hyland, FLHF Director, said.

A local vendor, Bandit’s Ridge, offered their location for the event.

The FLHF focuses on essential home repairs, particularly for older members of the community, and they take on over 100 projects each year.

“This year we’re probably going to do over $400,000 worth of repairs,” Hyland said. “Every little bit of fundraising helps us pay for those. The people we help are low income, and 100% of the proceeds go into that program. It’s for local residents, just in our community, and we don’t take any admin fees. It’s nice when people know that the dollars they’re contributing to others are being used with accountability in the community.”

The Foundation also offers wheelchair access ramps to low-income people in need, and they’re currently working on two affordable housing projects; one in Louisa with 25 units and one in Fluvanna with eight units.

“This [Have a Heart Fundraiser] is our inaugural event. We’re hoping to have more of them; we’re hoping to possibly do a golf tournament this summer,” Hyland said. “We’re a very small organization, and the previous directors were so busy doing the work that it was hard to get the word out to the community. There’s only so many hours in the day, and putting on a fundraiser takes a whole lot of time. We’ve grown this year; we have four employees.”

The event will feature live music, beer, wine, and lots of food and dessert options. Hilltop Produce, located on Zion Park Road at Zion Crossroads, is donating shrimp.

“It’s gonna be a really nice evening to spend with community,” Hyland said. “For the women, it’s something where you can get dressed up and go out and have fun. For the men, you don’t have to wear a tie. Get a little dressed up maybe, but not a tie. Go have fun, have a little Valentine’s Day evening out, plus do something good for the community.”