Habitat for Humanity Berks County held a dedication ceremony on Tulpehocken Street in Reading this past weekend for new homeowner Jeffry Santos. A small group of residents, volunteers, and community leaders attended to show support.
“We are thrilled to announce our newest homebuyer and proud of the beautiful renovation of Tulpehocken Street. Home dedication ceremonies are great events that allow us to introduce the city of Reading to another great neighbor. Many volunteers contributed their time and talent to renovate this home from top to bottom, and we are grateful for their support. Penske Truck Leasing was the lead sponsor on this home and contributed generously in dollars as well as volunteers.” said Tim Daley, Habitat Executive Director.
The home was completely renovated, which includes new electrical and plumbing, replacing the roof with slate to match its original beauty, and rebuilding the front porch. Additional projects included resurfacing the exterior brick and all of the home’s windows, new kitchen and bathrooms, re-configuring the floor plan, and painting.
To complete the renovations, 35 Penske Truck Leasing employees from the company’s used trucks department worked 575 hours.
During the dedication ceremony, Bob Glenn Director of Remarketing for Penske presented Santos with a housewarming gift of a new mattress and box spring.
“Jeffry worked hard to achieve his goal of home ownership, putting in 300 hours of sweat equity, including hours in education classes and financial counseling, all while working full-time and going to school part-time. He should be proud of this accomplishment, and I expect we will continue to see great achievements in Jeffry’s future.” said Penny Hummel, Habitat Director of Family Services.
We caught up with Santos at the end of the ceremony. “It’s amazing, a dream come true! Anyone that has a determined mind can accomplish anything.” It’s been a long journey for Santos, so he wanted to give advice for anyone looking to start the Habitat For Humanity process.
“Go for it! Some days your going to feel like you can’t do it, then as soon as see a little progress, that’s going to encourage you to keep moving forward. Sometimes the unknown will make us fear things, but you have to take a leap of faith and just go for it. Prayer and hard work are the keys to achieving anything in life.” said Santos.
