Donor Spotlight: Carolyn and Steve Brown Find New Ways to Give

Steve and Carolyn Brown have lived a life in service that has led them to their current role as steadfast Habitat donors and supporters; most recently, with a generous gift of appreciated stock. 

For 50 years, Steve served as a pastor and Carolyn as a director of children’s ministries before retirement. Active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church, their roots with Habitat date back to the 1970s, when they first visited Habitat for Humanity’s original headquarters in Americus, Georgia. It was on that same trip, on Koinonia Farm, where the Browns first met Habitat Founder Millard Fuller, and their involvement with Habitat was born.  

The Browns have been active with Habitat ever since, including acting as founding board members for Habitat Nashville in the 1980s. “Habitat's just been part of our lives for so long. It's that; it's just part of our lives,” shared Carolyn. “We've done all sorts of different things at Habitat, everything from me sitting at the front desk on Mondays to leading children's groups when we were doing community building back before the pandemic, to early on building houses...we continue to find ways to be involved that are good.” 

During this season of giving, the Browns have found yet another new way to support Habitat families, by donating stock when the market seemed to be peaking.

Carolyn and Steve Brown join a Zoom conversation with Habitat in October

“It was easy!” Carolyn enthusiastically shared. After securing Habitat’s account information and alerting the team to be on the lookout, the Browns were able to transfer the stock the same day. 

When they aren’t pitching in at Habitat, you might find Steve flying a kite, or playing the autoharp; and Carolyn performing puppet shows in the dementia unit at Westminster Canterbury.  

Feeling inspired? Want to discuss making a gift of appreciated stock of your own to Habitat? Reach out to Kelly Eplee at keplee@cvillehabitat.org or 434-953-5249.

Celebrating Five Years of Partnership at Foxfield

When Foxfield Races named Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville their first philanthropic partner five years ago, we were thrilled by the possibilities. It’s hard to believe how quickly that time has passed! 



Since 2021, Foxfield has generously donated more than $250,000 to Habitat’s mission, helping us emerge once again as the most productive affiliate for a service area of our size throughout the US and Canada. Not only are we nearing completion of Southwood’s phase I, inclusive of more than 200 affordable homes in the eventual 1,000+ home redevelopment of a mobile home park without resident displacement, we also brought the Carlton Mobile Home Park community into the Habitat fold. At Carlton, a resident leadership council is already actively taking ownership to address shared priorities in their community, to problem-solve and to plan their collective future together. 

Our core mission which calls on us to bring people together to build and rebuild homes and communities without displacement makes us a natural partner with our good friends at Foxfield, who remain committed to preserving this invaluable local institution and ensuring that it remains a community commons for all. 

This year’s fall races once again lived up to the promise of bringing people together from all walks of life to gather and of course to enjoy first class steeplechase. 

Check out the highlights reel from this year’s fall races here. 

Twice is Nice

At Habitat, we are proud to call Twice is Nice a funding partner for our critical home repair program in Greene and Louisa counties, where serving aging seniors by eliminating health and safety risks in their homes is a top priority. 

The Greene Team hard at work on a new deck ramp

“The funding support we receive from Twice is Nice allows us to undertake a bevy of critical home repairs, everything from deck or porch repair and replacement, to ramp installation, and other projects that promote accessibility while eliminating health and safety risks,” stated Habitat Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer Michelle Wamsley. “We’re proud to have been selected as one of 30 local organizations supporting seniors in our community by the Twice is Nice team.” 

You can learn more about Twice is Nice here, and how the store’s planned expansion – funded by their first-ever capital campaign – will allow the organization to serve more senior neighbors in need, through grants made to partners like Habitat. 

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville | 434-293-9066