Momentum
May 14, 2011 at 3:27 PM
It’s the last day of the build, people. And, you can’t even imagine what it feels like to stand on a lot looking at a home today when 5 days ago there was nothing.
Walter Tomala of TNT was by some miracle just as exuberant as he was the first day of the build. He was thrilled to report that the build process was met on time, and to perfect standards. For him, the greatest experience of planning and directing this project was seeing the community transform. He said the first day, folks were feeling a little uneasy, then, as they watched they got involved and became the greatest supporters of the project—literally cheering on the team. Herb, and elderly gentleman next door even took on a project manager sort of role.
Habitat’s Executive Director, Jennifer Schimmel, was effervescent in her delight with the larger picture of what is going on in the Old Hill Neighborhood. In the fall Habitat is going to build another home at the opposite end of Quincy Street. This is amazing folks…they are really doing it—they are moving with the momentum and transforming this place. Or, as Jennifer put it herself, “we are here to anchor this neighborhood.” There is nothing like seeing the Law of Inertia, “objects in motion stay in motion” put to practical use in the most positive of ways. You might just get cheeky and be tempted to call it galvanizing.
I know that my company, The Pecoy Companies will stay involved with this team and this sort of volunteer work as a key component to our belief in and responsibility towards corporate philanthropy.
Today I had a chance to catch up with Carol, the Development Director at Habitat about corporate fundraising and volunteer involvement. For her, having lunch with the volunteers is the best part. “People just start to talk—and you learn so much. You find out who they are and where they’re from and why they’re there. It was incredible to me the skill level of volunteers we had. Interestingly, a number of them were unemployed and from the construction industry—their particular level of enthusiasm was pretty remarkable.”
To Amy Scott of Wild Apple Design—the gracious and inspiring Genius Team Leader of this entire project—we all thank you for your dynamic and savvy ability in knowing just the right people to pull together to take this project from incubation to birth.
To Eric Belliveau of CitadelNetworks, thank you for organizing and orchestrating the technology behind this project. Your visionary skills and integrity allowed the volunteers and public to have knowledge of this project. Way to get the word out!
The build will take another four to six months to complete with the families being required to work 400 hours of that process. Volunteer opportunities will take place every Saturday and you can contact Nicole from Habitat at 413.739.5503 or Williamson@habitatspringfield.org if you would like to get involved.
There is a Habitat tradition that all of the volunteers take markers and write a note on the stud boards of the home they just built. I like that practice. It’s like adding a little something magical to the build.
So to the Frater Family and the Abdulrahman Family I will share with you the sentiments that this writer left on your wall:
“And, in the end the love you take, /Is equal to the love you make.” I hope that your two homes are always filled with love, laughter, joy and good health—a sanctuary for all things beautiful in this world.
Korri Piper
With 10 years of brand building experience, Korri joined The Pecoy Companies in the summer of 2010 to provide strategic direction and implementation of marketing initiatives for the rapidly growing home building and remodeling business. As Marketing Manager, Korri enjoys promoting The Pecoy Companies distinctive ability to create homes perfectly tailored to their owners and is proud of her company’s commitment to corporate philanthropy.
