Employees from Security Mutual Insurance and other local companies are rolling up their sleeves to help one Ithaca family in need during National Volunteer Month. The volunteers are teaming up with Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland Counties to build a more accessible home for Helen Palomino and her family.
Palomino, a full-time nursing assistant, lives in a cramped second-floor apartment with her two young children and elderly parents. The space is difficult for her parents to navigate safely, and the new home will include a wheelchair ramp and a fully accessible bedroom and bathroom on the main floor to better meet their needs.
Security Mutual sent six employees to the site on April 10 to assist with hanging drywall and other construction tasks. “It’s fulfilling to be making an on-the-ground impact,” said Jamie Murphy, the company’s territory manager. “As an organization, we’ve always prioritized giving back to our communities.”
Elizabeth Warner, Family Services & Volunteer Coordinator at Habitat, shared that Helen’s husband Joseph has contributed over 300 hours of work at Habitat construction sites. The family looks forward to purchasing the home this summer.
Shannon MacCarrick, Executive Director of Habitat, emphasized the deep value of volunteer participation. “Being on a Habitat site isn’t just a day out of the office, it’s hands-on time spent addressing a critical need in our community,” she said. “When they walk away at the end of their work day, we’re that much closer to helping a local family achieve their homeownership dream.”
In addition to Security Mutual, teams from Dairy One and BorgWarner are also scheduled to work on the project through May.
MacCarrick added that employer volunteer days serve more than just the construction effort—they foster community engagement and break down workplace hierarchies. “You raise that wall together, you support each other in measuring and lifting, you celebrate the victory when that piece of drywall is hung just right,” she said. “There’s valuable bonding to be accomplished in problem solving and building together.”
The project underscores Habitat’s mission to provide affordable homeownership opportunities—and the critical role local businesses can play in that goal.
Volunteers From Local Businesses Help Build Accessible Home for Ithaca Family
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