VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia Beach family is making a difference, one birdhouse at a time.
“This is my favorite thing. I love to build birdhouses with my dad,” said Stephen Todd.
Three years ago, the Todd family said they wanted to do something positive, and a birdhouse that welcomed bluebirds at their home caught their attention.
Kevin and Jamie Todd said they wanted to find something fun for their son Stephen to do. He has Down syndrome and previously worked at Farm Fresh until its closure.
“We had time on our hands, and we wanted to do something,” said his father Kevin Todd. “We have never built bird boxes before.”
The family started Bluebird Beach Bungalows in 2019. It quickly grew from a hobby to a passion for Stephen.
“Our sons had a little bit of a conversation on what we would do with the money. The youngest son said let’s keep the money, and Stephen said well, let’s donate the money,” said Kevin.
Each birdhouse is made by people with disabilities. Each bungalow is different, and Stephen and Jamie collect sea glass for the top of each box.
The family gets the wood from people in the community who are tearing down their old fences. At one point, Kevin said they had a large stack of wood in front of their home.
All the money raised from the $15 birdhouses are donated to local charities that are selected monthly. This month, the family is giving the money to people in Ukraine.
“It didn’t take long for the idea to take off, we knew if Stephen was involved. He just wants to do good things as he said," his father said.
To date, the family has raised more than $85,000, according to Jamie.
“Being a CEO, it’s a great thing to help the environment with these birdhouses," Stephen said.
You can find Bluebird Beach Bungalows at Tin Soldiers, Sugar Plum Bakery, and Taste Unlimited during the summer months. Click here to follow the family on social media.
Kevin asked his son, “Do you think you’re going to keep doing this Stephen?”
He replied, “Yes, 100% clearly. Yes.”
Then Kevin asked, “How much longer, any idea?”
Stephen responded: “I don’t know. A year, two years we will just see. Like forever. Forever.”