By buying several small houses of their own on Saturday afternoon, artists and art fans from across the area helped Habitat for Humanity take a few extra steps toward creating homes for the city’s less fortunate. In its first &uot;Home Sweet Home&uot; event, the Shooting Star Gallery on Main Street auctioned off dozens of pieces of art, from birdhouses to paintings, to raise money for the organization. Entries had to deal with the concept of home. Roughly $1,000 was brought in, and nearly 40 artists from as far away as Florida, Georgia and Maryland entered their work, said owner Brenda Wright.

&uot;I needed a burst of energy,&uot; said Wright, watching mayor/guest auctioneer Bobby Ralph

call for bids. &uot;I sent out a call, and they said, ‘Yes, I want to participate!’&uot;

Between calling out bids, Karen Edie and Kim Parr watched their own creations help raise money.

&uot;This is kind of fun,&uot; said Edie, a Carrollton resident. &uot;This is a great cause and I love this gallery.&uot;

Parr bought a birdhouse with a beach-type design.

&uot;I love the seashells,&uot; said the Virginia Beach resident. &uot;This is a nice gallery for a worthwhile cause, and I wanted to get out and support Suffolk.&uot;

Both former Habitat president Fran Alwood and current leader Angela Koncz took home homes for their feathered friends.

&uot;We’ve talked about doing a show for Habitat for a long time,&uot; said Alwood, now the organization’s secretary/treasurer. &uot;We had a good crowd when (the event opened), and it’s even better now. A lot of people came here just for the auction.&uot;

Koncz’s first project, a home on Charles Street, is expected to open in late June.

&uot;We’re looking for property for (the second home),&uot; said Koncz, who said that she hoped the auction would become an annual event. &uot;We’ll use the money raised here for the foundation of the home. This shows how generous the people are in this community.&uot;