Soldiers deployed with the Florida’s Guard’s 50th Regional Support Group (RSG) volunteered to help renovate the home of Stanislaw Siedlecki in Powidz, Poland, on Oct. 8, 2021.
Siedlecki has been a Powidz resident since 1992. He was an active member in the community for several years, but in 2010 he had to stop working due to a degenerative disease. He is now confined to a wheelchair, and his house needs renovations to make all the floors the same level to accommodate his mobility limitations.
The Soldiers began with removing the floors and tearing out floor boards using crowbars, hammers and brute strength. Afterwards, they lowered the floor levels in two rooms by using spades and buckets to remove dirt and debris from the house into a dumpster immediately outside Siedlecki’s window.
“Most people expect the Army to only be involved in big-scale projects, but the little things, especially in a small community, really do matter,” said Spc. Josue Luna, an intelligence analyst. “I was really tired once we were done, but I felt really good about what we did. It’s nice to be able to see that positive impact.”
Four hours later, the dumpster was completely full of debris and ready to be hauled away. Shortly before the Soldiers returned to base, members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade of Powidz arrived to continue work on the renovations into the afternoon.
“It’s great to give something back to Mr. Siedlecki after all his contributions to the community, especially when he’s in need now,” said Hubert Jankowski, a civilian interpreter who works with the U.S. military in Poland and helped with the renovation efforts. “You could see in his wife’s eyes that she was grateful. Doing projects like these shows that the U.S. Army is serious about developing relationships with its neighbors.”
The 50th RSG is based in Homestead, Florida, and is deployed to Poland in support of Atlantic Resolve.
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