His love for crafts led him to the Allentown Rescue Mission (ALLENTOWN, PA) – There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to brighten a room, and that is precisely what Paul Yelicanin, the Allentown Rescue Mission’s March volunteer of the month is doing! Paul is a married father of three, a Marine Corps Veteran, and a recently retired Managing Director from BNY Mellon.
For the past five months, he has dedicated one full day a week in order to give back to the Allentown Rescue Mission by painting. The Allentown Rescue Mission has served over 946 men this past year and with all those men, comes a lot wear and tear on the building. Walls began to become chipped and doors were becoming scratched. The walls require repaint and touch-ups on a regular basis and Paul is always ready for the task. There are many ways that the Allentown Rescue Mission receives its volunteers.
Paul and his wife Patty (pictured below) were attending a scrapbooking weekend and met the Allentown Rescue Mission’s Development Manager, Rosaria Stoops, who was also an attendee. After hearing and learning about what the Allentown Rescue Mission does, Paul reached out and scheduled a tour of the facility. After Paul visited the Allentown Rescue Mission firsthand, he was so moved that the week after that, he started volunteering!
When Paul was asked if there is anything he’d like to share with the community about the Allentown Rescue Mission, he said, “If you have the time to volunteer and give back, please consider it. I’m very impressed with the staff, the operation, the message of hope, and the help provided to the men at the Mission.” Paul intends to continue to volunteer once a week with the Facilities Department as long as we’ll have him. Thank you Paul for your support and service to the community and we hope that you have made some memories to add to your scrapbook!
