Astolfi says, "You can touch and feel and you can see the results of our work. You know, normally when you are in the business of sales, often the result of the work is not immediate and is not instant but today we are definitely accomplished."
The Italy native is one of over 60 employees from six countries volunteering today with Monroe County Habitat for Humanity. The manufacturing company is holding its Global Commercial Meeting in the Poconos.
Weiler Abrasives Global Marketing Director Nate Schmid says, "Giving back to the community is really a foundational principal and value at Weiler Abrasives so when we have a group in town, we don’t spend the whole time just focusing on our customers, we want to spend some time in the community and give back."
We’re told building shelves and unloading four tractor-trailer trucks filled with items for the nonprofit’s soon-to-be ReStore on Milford Road in Marshalls Creek is the perfect team building exercise…
"I’ll hold it, you put it on."
But the volunteers also love that they’re making a difference. The new kind of home improvement center in the Poconos will offer building materials and household items at a fraction of the retail price. And those bargain buys will help more people become homeowners. The proceeds are going towards preserving and building homes.
Astolfi says, "This is really a testament of the fact that it’s not just nice words on a website, this is how people really contribute to the community, which is one of the three “C’s” that Weiler Company wants to of course improve lives."
The volunteers are taking a major load off the back of the nonprofit. The ReStore was supposed to open in January but construction delays pushed the date back to May.
Monroe County Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors Secretary Suzanne Young-Mercer says, "They’re here for three hours. They’ve done amazing stuff just in the half an hour that I’ve been watching them so I have no doubt that we’re going to get most everything that’s on those trucks in the building."
Monroe County Habitat for Humanity hopes to hold a grand opening for the restore next month thanks to the community’s help both near and far.
