(WETM) – In celebration of Women’s History Month, 18 News is highlighting four local women who inspire, lead and forge the way for other women.

This week we meet Marion Nicastro. She is committed to her efforts; to contribute to a better world and always looking for solutions to problems when expressed by others. Those include helping Schuyler County’s branch of Habitat for Humanity, volunteering with an organization called Living Waters for the world and devoting her time to Mustard Seed Ministries.

Marion says her business career is what led her to carpentry work. For 25 years, she was a business administrator doing paperwork for her husband’s office. After she retired, Marion was eager to start doing manual work.

“I don’t care if it’s mixing concrete or climbing in the rafters to put in vent tubes or anything like that. Clear brush. I don’t care what it is. I like manual labor”, said Marion.

After getting married, she moved to Jamestown, New York, and lived there for a few years. However, her volunteerism kicked off when she headed to Corning, New York, to help those in need following the Flood of 1972.

“I would take my daughters to my little baby basket. Take her down to a project I was working on work there till it was time to get her home”, she continued.

After moving to the Tyrone area of Western Schuyler County, Marion and other members of her church noticed there was a lot in need. Twenty-five years ago, as individual small churches, they all came together to form the Mustard Seed Ministry.

The social ministry organization serving the greater Tyrone area and Schuyler County offers two food pantries, financial aid, provision of clothing and household items to those in need, and an operational seasonal thrift store.

“That’s how we did the food pantries, sent children to camp, subsidized people for getting into better housing, and if they needed rides, we took a whole group. So, a small group but a very dedicated group of people,” Marion added.

Using her skills helping Habitat for Humanity of Schuyler County, she is also committed to helping ensure people have access to potable water by volunteering with Living Waters for the world. In 2022, She says she got involved through The Presbyterian Church in Geneva and the Newer Rotary Club. She joined them in Mexico, a three-year commitment to building a water purification plant in a village that houses about 300 people. Marion is trained and ready for a second well installation.

“I used the skills that I had from building this habitat, the plumbing and electrical and joined the team to do the plumbing electrical down into Mexico. So, they all kind of interacted”, said Marion.

Marian says she gets a lot from giving up her time and says it’s also about giving back.

“Family has to come first but then when you get that free time and you’ve been blessed with our shelter and home and you’re able to reach out and help others that maybe don’t have that, I think you’d really appreciate it when you do, when you get blessings, you want to share your blessings,” she continued.