Local Carpenters Union 291 Helps Put Finishing Touches on Jack's Place

Schenectady, N.Y., April 17, 2016 (Newswire.com) -   When Jim Standhart learned that Jack’s Place, a refuge for people with relatives visiting area medical centers, was in need of both repair and people who had the skill set to assist with its completion, his first thought was “It’s a perfect project for our carpenters.”

Standhart, the representative for Carpenter Local 291 (www.carpenterslu291.com), helps direct members of his local with work-related jobs, but he also is the point person for asking members to donate their skills as volunteers on projects that help others.

"We have enormously talented carpenters who are willing to donate their time and talent when we recognize a cause that helps someone in our community."

Jim Standhart, Representative for Carpenter Local 291

“I was familiar with the background of Jack’s story, and I knew we had the skill set and the volunteer spirit to help with the construction,” Standhart said.

Jack Falvo III was 21 when he died in a tragic watercraft injury in 2005. He was the son of Schenectady’s assistant police chief. Jack’s Place rose from the tragedy as a tribute to the young man, transforming into the Jack Falvo III Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing a sanctuary to family members who have relatives visiting local medical facilities.

The project was a complete restoration of an eight-bedroom, sturdy saltbox Victorian home. It was gutted, and the carpenters did all the drywall work.  Standhart said more than 150 carpenters volunteered about 18 days of labor on the project, during the workweek. “Our guys were great because even though they worked all day, they came to Jack’s Place after 5 o’clock, uncomplaining and ready to lend a hand,” Standhart said. “That’s what we consider delivering volunteer services with the best possible spirit. Our carpenters were happy they could contribute to a worthy cause in the own backyard.”

Though Standhart is a union carpenter representative, he also pitched in. “I'm one of those guys that keeps a tool belt close,” Standhart said. “You never know when you’ve got to put it back on.”

Jack’s Place provides the facilities to families for free. This is a tremendous help to families because it relieves them of the burden of the extra cost which they would have to incur for a week or more if forced to stay in a hotel while their family member receives medical treatment, Standhart said.

The local Carpenters Union constantly assists with volunteer projects in the Schenectady area, Standhart said. “We have enormously talented carpenters who are willing to donate their time and talent when we recognize a cause that helps someone in our community,” he said.

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Source: Galileo Communications Inc.