Keeping House For Those Who Can't

Limerick resident Kathleen Albertson is looking for a few good cleaners.

Albertson, the Business Development manager for Professional Building Services, heads up a local branch of Cleaning For A Reason. 

Cleaning For A Reason is a national charity that helps provide housecleaning services to cancer patients who are currently undergoing treatment.

The purpose of the charity's work is to help with the day-to-day issues of living with a major illness.

"I'm a mom of four myself, and I can't imagine dealing with [cancer] on top of everything else I do," Albertson said.

Patients can sign up at the national website and get matched with a cleaning service in their area. 

Albertson said PBS' president, Matthew Herkins, heard about Cleaning For A Reason at a trade conference in Texas a few years ago and was impressed, so he brought the idea back to his own company.

Originally, Herkins decided to make PBS a sponsor of the charity, but then decided that he could do more for cancer patients by also sponsoring smaller cleaning services since PBS only does commercial cleaning. 

"He didn't want to just be a corporate sponsor," Albertson said.

Herkins brought Albertson to PBS just last year to manage the charity work. He was familiar with Albertson from her volunteer work at the Women's Shelter of Montgomery County.

Professional Building Services is due to attend a conference in July with other Cleaning For A Reason sponsors and will be receiving an award from the national organization.

Albertson recruits residential cleaning companies, and PBS pays their annual sponsorship fee to the national organization and donates cleaning supplies. 

Currently PBS has 15 cleaners in the area who volunteer their time. 

Local cleaner Donna Mazzerle, of , got involved when Albertson came to her and asked if she was interested. 

Mazzerle currently cleans homes for three cancer patients in the area. One of her clients, Mazzerle said, is a woman with an ill sixteen-year-old daughter; another client lives with her mother who helps care for her. 

Albertson said that Professional Building Services needs more residential companies like Donna's Cleaning Service. They'd like to expand their services in our area. 

Anyone wishing to volunteer can contact Ms. Albertson at kalbertson@profbldgserv.com or call 610-772-1612.