There’s the old saying that good things come to those who wait. For Todd R. Hurley, who serves as chief relationship officer of Penn Community Bank, his long-awaited “good thing” has finally come to fruition.
Recently, it was announced that Hurley was appointed to the board of directors of Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, a Levittown- and Chalfont-based organization that works to eliminate substandard housing locally through constructing, rehabilitating and preserving homes.
As an avid supporter of Habitat Bucks, which has built 118 homes since its inception in 1990, Hurley inquired about joining the board several years ago. However, there were no open spots at the time. Needless to say, Hurley was thrilled when Florence Kawoczka, executive director of Habitat Bucks, reached out during the summer to see if his interest was still there.
“Every family deserves a safe, secure place to call home,” Hurley said. “I am honored to join Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County as they work tirelessly to meet the housing needs of our neighbors, building homes, communities and hope.”
As chief relationship officer and executive director of the Penn Community Bank Foundation, Hurley oversees the bank’s nonprofit giving. The bank has pledged $100,000 over three years to support the building of a home in Habitat’s current project, a four-home development on Woodland Avenue in Morrisville.
Additionally, the bank’s team members volunteer at the build site on the second Wednesday of each month, and will until 2020, when all four homes in that project are complete.
“Todd has been a true friend to Habitat. It is especially gratifying to hear him describe his volunteer experiences and the joy he gets from supporting our work. He is an incredibly effective advocate for our mission,” Kawoczka said. “Through his work with the foundation and by engaging fellow team members in events or volunteer opportunities, Todd Hurley truly represents the word ‘community’ in Penn Community Bank’s name. We are thrilled to welcome him to our board.”
As Hurley settles into his new role, he hopes to not only continue Penn Community Bank’s partnership with Habitat, a relationship that dates to the early ‘90s, but strengthen it.
During his multi-year tenure as a board member, Hurley has plans to utilize his countywide contacts, which have been obtained through bank locations in Bensalem, Langhorne and other areas, to create larger awareness of Habitat and aid in its efforts.
“My role at the bank, besides overseeing the money aspect, it’s also getting people involved,” he said.
A prime example is finding team members to serve as volunteer financial mentors/coaches for Habitat clients.
“I think a big aspect that a lot of people don’t know about Habitat is that people coming in to apply for potential home ownership need to be in good financial condition. So we help them achieve their goals so they can be more financially sound and then qualify for Habitat,” Hurley said, stressing how the organization does much more than build houses. “It also helps build communities. The Woodland Avenue project is really a great example of that.”
According to Hurley, three of the four houses have been constructed, with nearby residents stepping in to embrace their new neighbors and aid in the final home’s completion.
A second less-well-known Habitat initiative he wants to promote is the Home Repair Program.
“It does renovations for people who maybe can’t afford, say, a new roof. Or maybe they’ve come to a point in their life where they need a ramp built up their house, or they need changes so they’re able to maintain quality of life in their current residence,” he said. “It’s not just about building homes, because that can be challenging to find more locations. But there’s certainly a lot of people out there who could benefit from the home renovation program. Habitat is looking for more opportunities to serve the community.” ••
For more information on Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County, visit habitatbucks.org or call 215-822-2812.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
