Clifford Birch makes sure birds have food and shelter with his handmade birdhouses and feeders.

And by building them for charity, he helps provide the same necessities for families in need.

Birch, 88, of Palmerton, decided to turn his woodworking hobby into a charity fundraiser. With help from the members at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Palmerton, he has helped Family Promise of Carbon County to serve homeless families from the region.

Birch’s handmade birdhouses have raised $600 for the organization.

Birch’s desire to help hungry families comes from his upbringing in a Western Pennsylvania mining town in the ’30s and ’40s.

“We never went to bed hungry, but there were families there that I know did,” he said.

Birch’s only training as a woodworker was two years of high school shop class, but he always kept a workshop in his basement for projects around the house. One of his first was a bird feeder for his late wife, who encouraged him to build his workshop.

After her death, he came up with the idea of using his hobby to help families like the ones he knew as a kid in western Pennsylvania.

His creations start as lumber. He uses tools like a band saw, planer and table saw to turn them into houses, cats and barns. For a design of his church, he sat outside and did a freehand drawing, which he turned into plans for the birdhouse.

He built a dozen before taking them to his church. On each birdhouse, he put a donation envelope. Initially he wasn’t sure if anyone would want them.

“When I was bringing them that Sunday, I thought, I’m probably going to be bringing a lot of these back,” he said.

To his surprise, they were all taken. And the orders for more started from there.

Birch asked his sister-in-law, Margo Ashner, to help handle the orders, collect the donations, and find a good organization for them.

Ashner knew Family Promise from volunteering with them in the past. They help needy families by partnering with local churches that provide food, shelter and volunteers to make the program work. Ashner said during her volunteer work she was touched by the stories of the families they served.

“I met so many people while volunteering who were down on their luck. I liked talking with the families and making friends with them,” she said.

Family Promise welcomed the donations, as they are in the midst of many changes. COVID-19 forced them to move operations to local hotels instead of churches. And they also acquired a former church in Nesquehoning last year, with plans to use the rectory as a shelter.

“What I think is neat, not just somebody quietly doing something like this, is that he has this artistic ability,” said Lori Hoffmaster, Executive Director of Family Promise of Carbon County.

Birch continues to receive orders for his birdhouses. And based on his idea to help needy families, the church is starting a special monthly collection which will benefit not only Family Promise, but other local organizations that help the hungry.

His next project is a feeder which looks like St. John’s UCC. He said he would welcome orders from outside the church as well.

“I never thought it would grow to this, and I hope it keeps on because I enjoy making them,” Birch said.

Anyone interested in one of Clifford’s birdhouses can contact Ashner at 610-826-3629.