Lee Health, Habitat for Humanity partner to house health care worker

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:

Health care workers put in hours drilling, painting and getting things prepared for a fellow Lee Health employee to move into a new house.

The work came from a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and Lee Health meant to connect Lee Health team members in need of housing to Habitat’s homeownership program.

“We’re out here to support a family that is looking to complete their home for Habitat for Humanity,” said Chris Simoneau, chief development, marketing and communications officer for Lee Health. “Lee Health is invested in our staff, in our community, and we want to be here to help them reach their affordable housing dreams.”

“Their wonderful co-workers are coming out and putting in what’s called ‘sweat equity hours’ in order to build a home together,” said Becky Lucas, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Lee and Hendry Counties.

All Habitat homebuyers must complete 300 hours of sweat equity, but others can donate 50 hours toward the program. That’s what happened Friday morning, when all those Lee Health employees came to support their coworker’s efforts.

“Housing equates to stability, and to be able to help our essential health care workers is of great benefit to not only the family we’re serving but the entire community,” Lucas said.

While health care workers are constantly giving back to others, Simoneau jumped at the chance to help one of his own.

“This is a very amateurish job that I’m doing here, but I hope they appreciate it in the end,” Simoneau said of his paintwork on the house.

The home has four bedrooms and two baths and is expected to be finished by early fall.

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