Representatives of Habitat for Humanity of Berks County and Olivet Boys and Girls Club joined Thursday to mark the start of construction on a home that will be owned by an Olivet employee.
The ceremonial groundbreaking at the rear of a vacant lot at 225 W. Buttonwood St. celebrates more than the start of a new home, said Timothy J. Daley, executive director of the nonprofit that helps provide affordable homes for the local workforce population.
It highlights a model of employer-supported housing that could be replicated across the region, he said.
“This is an extraordinary event,” Daley said. “It’s a tremendous example of how an employer and an employee can work together for the mutual benefit of both.”
The new home’s future owner, Pamela Perez, was recommended to Habitat’s First-Time Homebuyer Program by her employer, Olivet, he noted.
Daley described the project as a model solution to mounting workforce housing challenges and the difficulty of recruiting and retaining workers amid rising housing costs.
“Habitat’s role here is to be the resource,” he said. “The real winner here is the employer and the employee relationship.”
Rick Perez, CEO of Olivet, echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the organization’s investment not only in youth but in its staff.
“We take a lot of pride in our staff,” Perez said. “It is very important that we give our people the platform that once they elevate themselves that they are able to sustain that.”
Read the full Article – Author: Michelle Lynch