Devin is a 21-year-old young man who has demonstrated a “great work ethic, a willingness to go above and beyond to help wherever and whenever possible.”
These are the words of Helen Lidgett, grandmother of Devin Pannebaker, whom she nominated as a Hometown Hero because of his care and concern for students at the Philipsburg-Osceola Mills Elementary School, where he works as a custodian.
Lidgett stated in her nominating letter, “Taking his job seriously is not limited to a paycheck, to him the students have become a priority to ensure they stay safe and healthy,” adding that all of the custodians deserve credit for working hard to keep the staff and students safe at Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District.
Pannebaker, who lives in Philipsburg, has worked for the district for three years, and he said he originally worked night-shift, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to day-shift to help with the additional work.
This has resulted in having much more interaction with the students than he would normally have, and he enjoys it.
He also understands that the pandemic can be frightening to kids, so he tries to make things both as normal as possible and also a little goofy, so that they can have some fun.
“I use a machine to go around spraying a chemical that helps clean and to help kill the virus, which the kids call a blow dryer,” Pannebaker explained. “I try to keep things fun for the kids in times like this.
“They know it helps kill germs but they like to add a goofy side to it so I encourage it so we can try and get some things semi-normal and fun still.”
In addition to using the spraying machine, Pannebaker wipes down the railings for the stair wells multiple times per day, cleaning restrooms and preparing for lunch clean-up since the students are split between eating in the cafeteria and their classrooms.
He also noted that the restrooms are now separated by grade to keep contact at a minimum.
He is also amazed at how well the kids have been doing.
“I’m very proud of the kids for the fantastic job there doing with the social distancing at such a young age,” he said, adding that children would rather be playing with each other, which usually requires close contact, but they have been following the rules and even doing better with keeping masks on than many adults.
Unfortunately, a time will come when Pannebaker is moved back to night-shift, and he said that he will miss all the students and staff members he has come to know and love.
But the upside of this is, even though he won’t be seeing them as often, he will know that what he is doing makes a big difference in their lives every day.
“I am very proud to have a grandson who has the biggest heart filled with compassion for others,” Lidgett said. “He is my hero.”
If you would like to nominate someone as a Hometown Hero, please send an email to editor@gantnews.com.