Irwin-Harrison City area churches forming mission to help those in need with home repairs

Volunteers from four Irwin, Penn Township and North Huntingdon churches have banded together in an initiative to make home repairs in a three-day stretch in October.

“We have a ton of people who are chomping at the bit to help. We will do the work and provide the supplies,” said Rich Burdelski of Irwin, a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Irwin, and the newly-formed Carpenter’s Apprentice.

About 20 people have been willing to volunteer their construction skills for the mission, Burdelski said, and the organization’s website said it also is soliciting volunteers who want to donate their time and talents for that mission. The work will be done for qualified elderly, low-income and disabled families within a 30-minute drive of Irwin.

The First Presbyterian Church is joined by the Community United Methodist Church in Harrison City and the Norwin Christian Church and the Norwin Church of the Nazarene, both of North Huntingdon, in this mission to help those in need. The volunteers plan to work from Oct. 11 to 13, with the possibility of more dates if they are unable to handle all work in that weekend, Burdelski said.

Among the projects that the Carpenter’s Apprentice will do for a homeowner are porch and deck repair or construction, repairing or building steps, painting, weatherizing, making safety improvements such as railing and wheelchair ramps.

The churches involved in the mission are providing funding for the initiative, said Burdelski, president of Irwin Borough council.

This is the second time a Carpenter’s Apprentice mission in the Irwin area. One was formed in 2008, according to the First Presbyterian of Irwin’s website.

“Within our church, we thought it was a great mission that we should do,” Burdelski said.

The organization also is looking to community members, churches, and pastors to refer needy homeowners The Carpenter’s Apprentice. Those who are referred to the organization will be contacted, and a site surveyor will be assigned to speak with the homeowner to determine their needs and decide if it fits into the group’s abilities, according to the website. A financial needs assessment will also be conducted by the site surveyor.

Those requesting help will be considered on a case-by-case basis, said Sam Hensell, president of The Carpenter’s Apprentice. They will follow low-income guidelines, but will exercise a little bit of leeway, Hensell said.

If an applicant is contacted by a member of the organization, they will assess the need for the work, the level of work, create an estimate for the work requested, then decide how to move forward, according to the Carpenter’s Apprentice website.

For more information, contact The First Presbyterian Church of Irwin at 724-863-5910. ext. 113.