Eight Days of Hope outreach for 2020 is cancelled due to COVID-19

(WIVB) – COVID-19 has curbed Eight Days of Hope’s plan to provide Buffalo families with eight days of free home repairs again this summer.

Last year, the inaugural event brought more than 1,500 volunteers together to work on 120 homes in the city’s University District.

This year, Eight Days of Hope planned to do the same in a different district. They had already filmed a promotional video and were within days of announcing when COVID-19 struck, a Monday press release from Eight Days of Hope president and CEO Steve Tybor said.

“Usually, we need at least 90 days in advance to prepare for the volunteers and the families we are serving,” Tybor said. “The amount of time to assess the homes we will be repairing, the ordering of the materials, securing the permits, and the planning for the volunteers takes multiple months and there are no shortcuts.​”

He added that the event will pick up again in July 2021.