A Lifetime of Skill, A Heart for Service: Meet Joe
A gifted carpenter, Joe Steets has always loved building and repairing things, just as much as he loves giving back to his community. So, when he learned that the Fix-It Program was looking for volunteers to make minor home repairs for seniors living in Ocean County, he didn’t hesitate. “When you have a talent, you should share it with other people,” he said.
Partnership with Ocean County
“Keeping up with home maintenance can be difficult for older adults,” explained Kristine Santana, the Fix-It Coordinator. “Through a partnership with the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, we’re able to provide vital assistance to seniors and adults with disabilities. Our volunteers, like Joe, take care of the jobs folks may not know how to do or may not have the tools to do.”
Kristine added, “Our services help older adults stay in their homes longer, and that’s important. We feel beyond blessed to have someone as talented as Joe volunteering with Fix-It. He brings an entire career’s worth of knowledge and skill to the table.”
Joe’s career began early. “I’ve been in construction my whole life,” he said. In high school, he attended vocational school to become a draftsman. After graduation, he worked alongside his uncle and grandfather, both carpenters, and quickly discovered how much he enjoyed the craft. He later enrolled in an evening carpentry program at Kean College, where he learned to cane a chair.
Before long, Joe pursued a degree in Construction Management at the Newark College of Engineering (now the New Jersey Institute of Technology). It took eight years of taking night classes while working full-time and raising a young family to earn his degree, but he says the effort was well worth it.
Utilizing All His Skills to Keep Homes Maintained
Now eighty years young and as energetic as ever, Joe has completed countless Fix-It jobs: installing mirrored closet doors, doing minor electrical work, hanging drapes, mounting ceiling fans, changing smoke-detector batteries and so much more. Installing grab bars is one of the most common requests. “Grab bars can be tricky,” Joe said. “You need to know what you’re doing and what size to get. The ones with suction cups can be so dangerous.”
According to his wife Cindy, “Not a day goes by that Joe doesn’t go to Home Depot.” When Joe knows he’ll need an extra set of hands, she happily joins him on Fix-It visits. She says that when an email about a new project arrives, Joe gets moving right away.
“Joe likes to do things immediately,” Cindy said with a smile. “We had a home in Monmouth County, and there was no way to get to the backyard from the family room. One day we were talking, and I said, ‘If that window was a door…’ The next day, there was a hole where the window had been, and the day after that, we had a door. Soon after, Joe built a three-tier deck leading out onto the lawn.”
Active In Their Parish Too
Joe and Cindy are active members of Greenbriar Woodlands community and dedicated parishioners at St. Joseph’s Parish in Toms River. Joe volunteers at the church’s food pantry, unloading deliveries as they arrive. Although other congregations are closer to home, Joe has fond memories of attending Mass at St. Gertrude, which is part of St. Joseph’s as a child when his family summered in Island Heights. “St. Joseph’s Church does so much for the community. We are really happy there,” he said.
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A dynamic duo — Joe and Cindy enjoy giving back to the community. When he needs an extra hand, Cindy often accompanies Joe on a Fix-It job.
Seniors, caregivers assisting seniors or adults with disabilities who live in Ocean County and need help with household projects can contact Kristine Santana at 732 363 5322, ext. 5322. Volunteers interested in joining the Fix It team are encouraged to call.