MOUNT CARMEL — They say it takes one person to make a difference, and in the case of renovations at the Mount Carmel Food Pantry, 26 N. Market St., that person is Julian Milewski.
Whether it is something as simple as applying a fresh coat of paint, or more involved as a complete renovation of the bathroom, Milewski, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Kulpmont, has been hard at work throughout the past month, making good of two grants he received to improve the interior of the food pantry.
Milewski is dedicating his time through the Mount Carmel Area Ministerium, which owns the building and sponsors the food pantry with the Maria Kaupus Center.
The pantry received an $1,100 grant from Home Depot in St. Clair and 13 gallons of paint, including outdoor paint for the ramp, donated from Behr to help with the upgrades.
When Milewski heard water lines in the building were damaged during the frigid winter, his expertise as a building services manager made him step up and say, “I can fix it.”
While fixing the plumbing issues, Milewski decided he was going to upgrade the entire bathroom, including the installation of a utility sink with a hot water heater.
Jake Betz, director of the Maria Kaupus Center, said he’s received an email with updates almost every day since Milewski began work in the building.
“He’s really putting in a lot of time, which he’s a very busy guy with the church and his day job, which is really demanding,” said Betz. “We really appreciate all the time and effort he puts in and that he has put in here.”
Milewski said it’s a “gift” from the parishioners of his church that he’s able to be there that much. “My folks at the Kulpmont church have been very understanding giving me time to be able to do this because I had to pull time from there.”
On Saturday, Home Depot sent three workers with paint supplies to help with the renovations. They primed walls that were covered with peeling wallpaper. Milewski said they’ll be back on another date to apply the paint throughout the hallway.
He’s looking at another month of work until the current projects are complete, but he’s kept his eye out for other long-term projects he wants to work on in the future, and Betz is more than happy to keep him around.
“We’re not going to let him go,” he joked, adding, “We’ve come across a great resource. He’s going to advise us on the things to do and how to best do them.”
Betz and Milewski extend their gratitude to Behr Paint and the Home Depot, including community services coordinator Dave Seresky, for caring about the community and “coming through in a pinch” with assistance.
