Construction Volunteers Renovate Rosie's Place

Dozens of volunteers from the construction industry came together in the South End last week, to donate their time, materials and expertise to renovate several rooms at Rosie's Place, a non-profit and food pantry for homeless and poor women in Boston. 

The group, organized by the the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Massachusetts, worked side-by-side over the span of 24 hours to complete a couple of renovation projects in the building. This is the second year in a row that the group has volunteered.

“Many of the companies donating time and talent for this 2012 community service initiative were involved last year when we renovated the kitchen and dining spaces for Rosie’s Place,” said Danielle Arciero, Chair of the AGC Young Contractors Group and BIM Coordinator with Consigli Construction. “We learned a lot about the power of a large group collaborating to accomplish so much work in a single day. We also learned how much these upgraded facilities uplift both the guests and staff of Rosie’s Place. That tangible, immediate response we experienced made us want to come back and do more for such a great organization.”

The work performed included renovations to the wellness center, a new reception desk and upgrading of finishes in the reception area, building exterior upgrades and improvements, repainting of overnight sleeping areas and renovations to the mail room, laundry area and community spaces at Rosie’s Place.

"It’s just absolutely terrific to have support from companies in the community, which is critical for Rosie’s Place," said Leemarie Mosca, director of Development & public relations at Rosie's Place. "Rosie’s Place is built on community support and also volunteer support. This was the perfect match of those two. Not only did they donate the materials, but also donated their time, so now our guests are going to be able to greeted in a more welcoming reception area. Improving our space improves their experience here."

The group included construction managers, architects, general contractors, material suppliers, subcontractors and specialty builders: ADD, Inc., Austin Houlihan Painting, Bond, Boston Sand & Gravel Company, Business Interiors Floor Covering, Inc., Campanelli Companies, CCP Special Projects, Central Ceilings, Inc., Commodore Builders Corporation, Compass Project Management, Inc., Consigli Construction Company, Inc., Damianos Photography, Dec-Tam Corporation, Douglas Okun & Associates, Dynamic Waste Systems, Inc., Elaine Construction Company, Inc., Gilbane Building Company, Holland & Knight LLP, J&M Brown Electric, John W Egan Company, Inc, Jones Lang LaSalle Construction, Kaloutas Painting Inc., Lauring Construction Company, Inc., Mark Truant & Associates, Inc., Masiero Woodworking Corporation, McAdam Painting Company, ML McDonald Sales Company, Inc., Packard Design, Pittsburgh Paints, Poland Spring, Reilly Communications, Richard White and Sons, Senate Construction Corporation, Skanska USA Building Inc., Suffolk Construction Company, Inc., The Woodworks Architectural Millwork, Wright Architectural Millwork, WT Kenney Company, Inc.

If you're looking to get involved, Rosie's Place is always looking for volunteers and hours are flexible, including daytime, night and weekend hours, said Mosca. There's also the option of holding a toy drive, food drive or coat drive for items that can be donated to the center. 

The South End community has been really wonderful to Rosie’s Place," said Mosca. "We're just so grateful for that."