The bar for best Secret Santa in Kitsap County has been set pretty high this year. An anonymous person gave Habitat For Humanity of Kitsap County $73,900 last week.
That’s enough to buy 190 Xbox Ones. How does your $20 iTunes gift card look now?
“I think we’re pretty pleased,” said Daryl Daugs, executive director of Habitat For Humanity of Kitsap County. “It’s a great Christmas present.”
Daugs has been with the Kitsap branch for three years. He said most donations of this size are rare and they usually come from an estate.
“We’ve had donations periodically in that range,” Daugs said. “That’s about the biggest of an individual donation we get.”
The donation nearly covers the cost of build materials for an entire house, Daugs said. It will be put into Habit’s Fund for Humanity and used to add to the Harris Court neighborhood in Port Orchard, he said.
All homes in Harris Court will have solar panels on the roof and the neighborhood will have more than 80 fruit bearing trees, Daugs said. Once complete, it will be the largest single family home solar neighborhood in the state, according to a habitat report.
Habitat works with families who earn 30-60 percent of the median area income, Daugs said.
“It’s a hand up, not a hand out. We work side by side with them to build the house,” Daugs said. “And when they’re done they have a zero interest mortgage which is equal to what it costs to build a house.”