Thanks in part to seed money provided by Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., the Hazleton Area Habitat for Humanity now is prepared to renovate its first home. The next step is a meeting to get volunteers who would like to help renovate the Habitat house.

An orientation meeting will be held Thursday, April 18, for volunteers for the organization's first house or families interested in becoming Habitat homeowners. The meeting will be held at the Altamont Building, 207 W. Broad St., Hazleton, at 7 p.m.

Pennsylvania Power & Light Co. has pledged $15,000 to the local group. PP&L presented the first of three equal annual payments ($5,000) to Hazleton Area Habitat last July. Habitat for Humanity is an international nonprofit organization that builds and renovates houses for families in need. It uses volunteer labor, donated supplies and monetary donations to help cover other materials and construction costs.

"We're excited about renovating our first site at 553 Carson St.," said Pat Owens, Hazleton Area Habitat for Humanity's board president, "and providing a house for a family in need. Right now, we need volunteers to step up to the plate and provide some muscle, materials or donations to refurbish the site. We also are looking for families who are interested in living in the house."

Martha Herron, PP&L's Hazleton area community development director, is chairwoman of Hazleton Area Habitat's public relations committee as well as PP&L's Community of Volunteers program. Through this organization, PP&L employees can request company support and volunteers for nonprofit organizations. Patricia Sinex, lab technician in PP&L's Chemical Laboratory, heads the Hazleton Area Habitat's building committee.

Families interested in owning a Habitat home must complete an application form. Families are selected by a special committee of the Hazleton Area Habitat for Humanity based on the financial needs of the family, the number of family members, present living conditions and the size of the Habitat house.

The house is expected to be renovated by spring 1997.

For additional information about the Hazleton Area Habitat for Humanity chapter, contact Herron at (717) 459-7314 or Owens at (717) 459-6964.