Peabody's SteadyCare helps renovate Cushing

December 30, 2007  

PEABODY-Volunteers from the Peabody-based SteadyCare monitoring company recently rolled up their sleeves and spent an entire workday on the South Shore, helping to renovate the Cardinal Cushing Center in Hanover.

As part of the center’s Give-a-Day Program, four employees donated their time to work on one of several projects at the St. Coletta and Cardinal Cushing Schools of Massachusetts campus. It was their first time at the special needs residential school, and they would love to come back.

“They found it to be a positive experience,” said the school’s representative Patty Allo. “They felt like they made a good contribution, which they did.”

The volunteers spent over five hours sanding, striping, cleaning and painting 20 doors.

“They got them all done in one day,” said Allo. “They got an assembly line going and worked really hard. They did a great job.”

The renovation project is part of the school’s plan to create additional space in the Kennedy Building for training, yoga, a chapel, and administrative offices. The Give-a-Day Program was launched just over three months ago to encourage businesses to get involved and help move the process along. So far, over seven businesses, including SteadyCare, have signed up for the challenge.

“It was definitely worth it,” said Tabitha Delano, one of the volunteers. “We met some kids in the hallway as they passed by, and they kept thanking us for helping them out.”

Allo said that although cash donations to fund such large projects are important, donating time is just as valuable.

“We work around their schedule,” said Allo. “We’ll pull together a project based on how many people and (their skills). We customize it to the company.”

The North Shore company didn’t have any qualms with heading an hour south to donate their services. Delano said they were just trying to reach out to Massachusetts communities, regardless of their shoreline.

“It was all really nice,” said Delano. “You could see the appreciation on the people’s faces. They really appreciated what we were doing even though it was just a door. (To them) it was a piece of something big.”