Kingston farmer donates thousands of dollars worth of wood to Habitat for Humanity

It’s being considered one of the largest single donations Kingston’s Habitat for Humanity has ever received. Bernie Robinson, a Kingston area farmer and businessman, has donated thousands of dollars worth of wooden crates to the organization. They will be used to build everything from fences to homes.

Susan Zambonin, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Kingston, says the crates are a builder’s gold mine.

“I couldn’t believe the amount of wood that’s here,” Zambonin said. “Four by six and two by six and four by four posts. It’s invaluable.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I couldn't believe the amount of wood that's here," Zambonin said. "Four by six and two by six and four by four posts. It's invaluable."

Robinson could have sold the wood, but instead, he decided to donate it to an organization he knew would benefit from it. For the past six years he has worked with Habitat for Humanity by providing them with land to grow their community garden. He says helping out the organization with building supplies such as wood, was a no-brainer.

“When it comes to Habitat for Humanity, their goals and our thoughts about helping build a better community really align well,” says Robinson.

Since Tuesday, volunteers have been working to dismantle the old crates so they can be used as building materials for future projects.

“We have to put a fence up around our Cowdy Street project that I think would have cost us $40,000 or $50,000 worth of lumber just to go around the project if we had to buy it all,” Zambonin said.

The CEO of Habitat for Humanity says there is so much wood on the property that it will take them weeks to dismantle it all and they are looking for volunteers to help them get the job done.  Steven Larocque is one of four people lending a hand.  He says while the work isn’t easy, he feels good knowing it will help someone in need.

“There are people out there that, let’s face it, in today’s world it’s really rough, and when you can help somebody out and put them in a home, what better satisfaction is there than that,” Larocque said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There are people out there that, let's face it, in today's world it's really rough, and when you can help somebody out and put them in a home, what better satisfaction is there than that," Larocque said.

So far some of the wood has already been converted into workbenches. The rest will be stored, and ready for use when needed.