York Habitat teams up with Carroll County branch to help Hanover woman battling cancer

When Cammy Hipp, who is dealing with stage IV cancer, needed urgent home repairs, two Habitat for Humanity affiliates — in York and Carroll County — joined forces across state lines to lend a helping hand.

With her chemotherapy treatments for stage IV cancer, a part-time job, and caring for her granddaughters, Cammy Hipp had fallen behind on a few home projects.  

Her sliding glass door needed to be repaired. The shingles on the shed roof were disintegrating. She needed a grab bar for stability in the bathtub because the cancer treatments have stripped away her energy and balance.  
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Cammy reached out to an old friend who encouraged her to apply for Carroll County Habitat for Humanity’s Emergency Assistance Program in Maryland.  

A longtime advocate

Cammy has spent her career managing a hotel in Westminster, Maryland. Through the job she became a longtime advocate of the work of Habitat for Humanity. Her hotel hosted Habitat’s board meetings and retreats, and Cammy often donated hotel gift cards to Habitat fundraisers. 

She never imagined that she’d be reaching out for its help, though.  

“It’s hard when you’re usually on the other end and then you have something happen to you. It’s just pretty catastrophic,” she says. “And then you have to open up to be on the receiving end, and it just shows you that there’s still so much goodness in the world.” 

There was only one problem: Cammy lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania. York Habitat for Humanity, which includes her hometown, didn’t have an emergency assistance program, and the Habitat affiliate she long has supported wasn’t just in another county, it was in another state.  
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Little did Cammy know that her predicament would lead to the forging of a connection between the Habitat affiliates a state apart.  

Critical repairs completed through teamwork

After Carroll County Habitat for Humanity officials reviewed Cammy’s application for emergency assistance, Executive Director Scott Swartz reached out to Natasha Kukorlo, his counterpart at York Habitat for Humanity, wondering if there was anything she could do.  

"First, he asked if our affiliate is currently doing critical home repairs, and I said no, not currently," Natasha says. "He then asked if we'd be interested in partnering with their affiliate to complete a critical home repair in Hanover. He said they could provide all of the necessary materials for the project, if we were able to supply the volunteers. Knowing we have an amazing group of Core Krew volunteers to pull from, we agreed." 
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On a drizzly Wednesday morning in September, a Carroll County Habitat for Humanity trailer was backed into Cammy’s driveway. Volunteers from York Habitat gathered, hammers and drills in hand, and began divvying up the projects. Soon they were flinging shingles from the shed roof into a wheelbarrow, prying trim from the old sliding glass door, and hunting down studs behind the bathroom wall. They worked tirelessly, some of them in the rain, to bring new life to parts of Cammy’s home.  

​A hope to expand services

Years ago, York Habitat was able to offer critical home repair services. Over the years, that focus shifted when the affiliate began to receive many land donations. New construction became the sole service they were able to provide. For now, the York Habitat team refers all critical home inquiries to Servants Inc., another volunteer-based nonprofit organization. 

While York Habitat plans for the future, one homeowner will sleep better knowing her door is weatherproofed and her home is safer and more secure. For Cammy, this act of kindness from two Habitat affiliates means more than just having her home repaired. It’s a reminder that even in the most challenging times, there is a community willing to step in and help.
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As Cammy deals with cancer, the support she has received has lightened her load, allowing her to focus on what truly matters. While it remains uncertain when York Habitat will begin to once again offer a home repairs program, the effort involving York and Carroll County Habitats has made a positive impact on one grateful homeowner’s life.