HANOVER – Friday, March 21, 2008 - A team of nineteen senior level maintenance supervisors from Equity Residential in Wellesley put their muscle to work for good on Good Friday at Cardinal Cushing Centers in Hanover as part of the residential school’s Give A Day program.
“We have the best of the best here today, nineteen of the elite, if you will,” said Christopher P. Reilly, area vice president for the New England division of a national company that owns and manages large apartment complexes around the country and 70 in New England including “If you lived here you’d be home now” Charles River Park.
“This team will get more done by noon than most people do all week.”
The appointed A-Team supervisor, Steve Dybowski, set the pace. “Today we’re overhauling a wing of this school building, seven office-sized rooms, one large common room and two hallways. I hand picked my team based on the job,” said Dybowski who made two trips to the school in advance of his team to define and then prep the project. “We’re painting, replacing cove base, cleaning carpets, performing some carpentry and pulling wires for data.”
Paul Fanning, Senior Director of Organizational Advancement for Cardinal Cushing Centers worked with the one-day volunteers. “These men accomplished so much in a short time,” Fanning said. “They literally completed a major renovation in just one day. It was fun to watch them work. The wing has been renovated to house therapy clinics for our students with special needs. The space went from tired to bright and inviting. The men did a wonderful job.”
“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.
