In 2020, a storm hit central Virginia that left residents without power for several days. One of Piedmont Housing's properties was without heat, and residents couldn't travel to replenish supplies or charge their phones. So when staff at the Charlottesville nonprofit, together with the community, had a chance to put in protections for residents as part of a redevelopment project, they did. The result will be seen in a new community resource center, part of a larger redevelopment of Friendship Court, recently renamed by residents as Kindlewood.

In 2020, a storm hit central Virginia that left residents without power for several days. One of Piedmont Housing's properties was without heat, and residents couldn't travel to replenish supplies or charge their phones. So when staff at the Charlottesville nonprofit, together with the community, had a chance to put in protections for residents as part of a redevelopment project, they did. The result will be seen in a new community resource center, part of a larger redevelopment of Friendship Court, recently renamed by residents as Kindlewood.

David and Linda Kling lived in a two-bedroom home they'd owned for just shy of 18 years. That's where they were when they heard the news broadcast about a fire in the canyon. They gathered a few items for themselves and their pets. At 9:20 p.m., they fled.
 
"What was normally a 20-minute drive took us five hours," Linda says. "Everyone was evacuating." When they returned home weeks later, there was nothing left. David could smell the melted vinyl from his record collection. His recording equipment was charred beyond recognition.
 

David and Linda Kling lived in a two-bedroom home they'd owned for just shy of 18 years. That's where they were when they heard the news broadcast about a fire in the canyon. They gathered a few items for themselves and their pets. At 9:20 p.m., they fled.
 
"What was normally a 20-minute drive took us five hours," Linda says. "Everyone was evacuating." When they returned home weeks later, there was nothing left. David could smell the melted vinyl from his record collection. His recording equipment was charred beyond recognition.
 

September is National Preparedness Month, a time to prepare for disasters or emergencies that could happen at any time. Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (NHSSF) is spending the month putting the finishing touches on a new loan program that will help families prepare their properties for emergencies, says Juan Carlos Gordillo, marketing and communications manager for the NeighborWorks network organization.