As a final event for World Habitat Day 2010 Habitat for Humanity Hungary invited journalists and press representatives to volunteer at a renovation project in Miskolc, Northern Hungary.

The volunteers helped to insulate and renovate the windows of the residential building of Symbiosis Foundation. As agreed, the Symbiosis Foundation used a grant source to purchase the materials, while Habitat for Humanity supported the project with volunteer work. Residents of the home were also involved in the construction, working alongside the volunteers. The whole initiative received extensive coverage in the Hungarian press.

The Symbiosis Foundation helps mentally challenged people. It supports their education, social integration and employment (they run a farm and produce fabulous goat chees!). The foundation also accommodates those whose families cannot take care of them, because they need special care.

Before given to the foundation, the residential building accommodated a school for over 50 years. With the help of a grant, the windows of the residential rooms have already been renovated. The common areas, however, still have the original non-insulated windows.

This spring, another residential building of the Symbiosis Foundation was damaged by massive floods. Habitat for Humanity Hungary has helped the foundation to renovate the damaged wall section. We also helped to build a wall and a diversion ditch to prevent similar flooding in the future.