Linda Ellis of South Shore Savings Bank gets ready to paint a room at Cardinal Cushing Centers as part of the school's "Give A Day" program, which enlists South Shore businesses to spend one day volunteering on maintenance projects.
“I heard about Give A Day and the need for volunteer skilled laborers through a school employee who attends my church,” said Reilly who also serves as Deacon at Saint Mary of the Sacred Heart in Hanover. “Equity Residential values community service. Each employee can take one paid day per year for community service. It’s an employee benefit that helps us attract and retain good workers. We have a very low turnover rate for this industry.”
“This is a good day for my guys,” said Dybowski. “In our jobs we tend to do the same things over and over, so it’s fun to do something different. The men get to showcase their skills a little.”
“We call our volunteer team ‘The Task Force,’” said Reilly. “It’s a competitive team. There’s competition to get onto the Task Force and then once you’re on the team, there’s competition to see who can get more done. They work really hard on the volunteer projects. They’re good people and the assignment is worthwhile. They want to do a good job.”
Equity Residential provided all the tools and materials for their project, as well as the skill and labor. ICI Paint donated $650 worth of paint and Mike’s Carpeting of New England donated $300 in cove base. “We like to allow our vendors to be generous, too,” laughed Dybowski.
In addition to Reilly and Dybowski, the others who participated in Give A Day were Chet Brunstrom, Jay Forcier, Tim Forcier, Mike Coppa, William Cruz, Mike Duffy, Jim Feyler, Louis Garcia, Dana Guibault, Hector Hernandez, Ralph Jubinville, Tim LaGasse, Mickey Matthews, Anthony Minuto, Chris Pierce, Tony Rodriguez, and Mike Shepherd.
Cardinal Cushing Schools in Hanover and Braintree enable individuals with diverse special needs and their families to achieve their spiritual, academic, vocational and social potential in a nurturing and enriching environment. Cardinal Cushing Schools welcome children with developmental disabilities of all faiths. For more information on Give A Day, visit the school’s website, www.coletta.org.
