PLYMOUTH, MA–More than 80 volunteers organized by local electrical contractor, Glynn Electric came together this Labor day weekend to help build 3 homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth. Two of the three homes have been designated for Military Veterans and their families.
The large scale volunteer build day was the culmination of more than 5 years of planning, permitting and fundraising which began with a 2014 Town Meeting approval to convey the land to the non-profit group for the purpose of building affordable housing.
“Once all of our regulatory and financial requirements were taken care of, all that remained was to recruit teams of volunteers to actually come and build the houses alongside our selected homeowners. That’s where Glynn Electric stepped up and they did so in as big way.” Said Jim Middleton, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth.
Plymouth based Glynn Electric, one of the largest electrical contractors in the state with nearly 300 employees has a long history of working with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth. The firm has wired a number of homes free of charge for the organization over the past ten years but this event marks the first time so many from the company have come out for a single event.
Glynn Electric Founder, Matt Glynn commented on his company’s involvement with Habitat.
“A guiding principle of our company is that to those who much is given, much is expected. Our business has been so incredibly blessed over the past 30 years. It’s really been beyond my wildest dreams. As such, I believe we have a responsibility to positively impact not only our customers and our employees but the larger community as well. We try to perpetuate this value in the culture of our company. Judging by the number of our staff that jumped at the chance to come out and help, I would say it has taken hold,” Glynn Said.
Ward Jaros, owner of WJProjex who played a key role in recruiting additional workers to augment the Glynn team said that the Veteran focus of the project was also a motivator for many of the project volunteers.
“ There are just so many veterans working in the trades from electrical to carpentry and HVAC, to plumbers and masons, you name it. A good portion of our volunteers from Sagamore Plumbing and Heating as well as those from Glynn are former Military. These folks always seem to be first in line and willing to do the hard work in service of others, even more so when a fellow veteran is involved. We owe these men and women a great deal of appreciation for their service and their selflessness,” Jaros said.
This project is the first for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth explicitly intended to benefit military Veterans. Executive Director Jim Middleton, President of The Board, Dave Drain and other members of the Habitat team pursued and attained a special status through the state of Massachusetts. This designation as a Veteran-Qualified Builder enabled them to deliver affordable housing earmarked specifically for veterans.
One of the homes will go to Jennifer D., a Marine Corps veteran and working mother of three. The other home will belong to Tracy H., a Bronze Star recipient who served in the military over a combined 16 years in the US Air Force and Army Reserves. Tracy deployed six times, including to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Both women and their families were on site working as part of the volunteer construction crew.
Amy Belmore, Development Director for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Plymouth expressed the organization’s appreciation for companies like Glynn who support the work of the organization.
“We can’t thank Glynn Electric, Sagamore Plumbing and Heating, all of the volunteers and the many generous donors enough for making this build day possible. The vitally important work of Habitat for Humanity depends on financial and in-kind contributions from generous individuals, groups and businesses like Glynn Electric. The need for safe, quality affordable housing in our communities is greater than ever. I would like to encourage other business owners in the community to reach out to learn more how you can get involved with this important work.”
