David Penepent, a Mortuary Dcience professor, has been volunteering his time, along with two of his students, in New York City since April to assist with handling the remains of COVID-19 victims.
The 57-year-old Batavia native started "Hands with a Heart" to transport the bodies of those who have died from overwhelmed funeral homes to other states in behalf of grieving families.
Penepent was featured today in a story in The New York Times.
“It’s a godsend,” said Joe Neufeld Sr., the owner of the Gerard J. Neufeld Funeral Home in Queens, which is just blocks from Elmhurst Hospital Center in one of the hardest hit areas in the country. “He came out of nowhere to save us.”
This Saturday, staff from H.E. Turner, including Steve Johnson, who teaches with Penepent at SUNY Canton in the Mortuary Science Program, will join Penepent's team to help with the effort.
"We will be doing so voluntarily and without charge to the state, funeral homes, or families affected," Johnson said.
