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Wells Fargo employees have joined with Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks to improve the home of an Army widow in Reading.

Fourteen volunteers spent a day working on the porch, fence, windows and roof of Anna Marie Endy’s Bingaman Street house through a program called Operation Renovation: A Veterans Affair.

Endy’s husband, Army Sgt. James Endy, was a Korean War veteran who died in 1988.

Ronald Miller, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services, said Wells Fargo and its predecessors have been involved with the volunteer projects for 28 years, longer than any other participating group. The bank also has been the one organization to consistently put together its own team of volunteers.

“We’re very thankful for Wells Fargo’s long participation with NHS, and we hope that will continue going forward,” said Lucy Cortez, NHS board president.

In support of that partnership, Wells Fargo presented a check for $35,000 to Neighborhood Housing Services at an event Monday.”Those funds are to be used in major support of Operation Renovation, but it’s also in support of our agency, NHS, and a small office expansion we have underway that’s going to allow us to almost double our home-buyer education and budget-credit counseling services,” Miller said.

Miller said the organization canvasses the Berks County veterans community in search of projects. Veterans or spouses of deceased veterans are eligible.

Miller said NHS chooses projects in which the repairs are in line with the skills of volunteers. Some projects have to be turned down because they would require technical skills beyond volunteers’ capabilities.

Endy heard about the program from a neighbor, whose house was repaired two years ago.”It means a big relief off of me of trying to get it fixed somehow,” said Endy, whose family has owned the house for 74 of the more than 100 years it’s been standing. “I’m very thankful for what they’re doing.”

Representatives from Neighborhood Housing Services and Wells Fargo said they are grateful for their cooperation with each other.

“We have a shared goal of being able to provide affordable housing in Berks County and also do different projects like the repairs we’re doing today,” said Lauren Tobiassen, president of Wells Fargo Central Pennsylvania.