Monroe County Habitat for Humanity, Sanofi help with home repairs in Tobyhanna
It's a chilly day with occasional flurries in A Pocono Country Place, one that isn't exactly ideal for construction. Nevertheless, Monroe County Habitat for Humanity and volunteers from Sanofi have come out to the Falcon Terrace home of Anthony Johnson to help with some vital repairs.
Out in the backyard in the early afternoon, Monroe County Habitat for Humanity's William Snell is keeping a watchful eye on the action as site supervisor.
"Today, we're finishing the deck up, putting balusters on the top rail, fixing the windows, lowering the windows down and making them secure," Snell said, looking up as volunteers from pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur, located in nearby Swiftwater, set a piece of rail into place.
Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit housing organization, works throughout local communities across the entire United States, in addition to 70 countries around the world.
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"Habitat’s vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live," the organization's website reads. "Habitat works toward this vision by building and improving homes in partnership with individuals and families in need of a decent and affordable place to live."
Ashton Tatka, a process engineer for Sanofi, said the repair project for Johnson's home was part of a team-building event intended to "give back to someone in our community."
"It's actually been pretty cool, and we've learned some skills along the way. But it's also nice to be doing it for a purpose and for a cause, you know, helping someone out who really needs it," Tatka said.
It's a great fit to have the Sanofi volunteers on hand, as Tatka noted she and the crew tend "to be very perfect, very meticulous and detail oriented" as part of their normal work - an attention to detail that transfers well to home repair.
Snell noted that beyond volunteers, Sanofi has contributed grants to help with other Habitat for Humanity projects in the Poconos.
Johnson, beaming with joy as he sees repairs coming to completion, said he received a $10,000 grant for the repairs, which were vital to keep his home in good condition.
"They did the front steps, they did the bathroom, and they're also doing the deck. The deck was a complete mess, the front steps were complete mess. And you can see, the work is pretty nice right now," Johnson said.
No stranger to volunteering himself, Johnson used to pitch in at Habitat for Humanity, and also assisted a local church with their food pantry. It's a cause he holds near and dear to his heart — helping others throughout the community.
"I did a lot of volunteer work, (but) I had to stop because of physical conditions, my health," Johnson said. "But I really appreciate the work. It's amazing what they do to help people who really need it, it's wonderful."
Both Johnson and Snell are passionate advocates for volunteering, encouraging the community to lend a hand to their brethren if and when they can — even if you don't know how to run a power saw.
"There isn't a specialist here except myself. I will tell you what side of the screw goes into the board," Snell said with a laugh.
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This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Sanofi and Habitat for Humanity join forces to help Monroe County man
