Many had not seen their fellow workers since the shutdown when they commenced work from home. They won’t be going back to their office desks until it is safe.
Yet, even a pandemic could not interrupt nine years of helping non profits. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) went ahead Sept. 25 with its annual community service day. More than 400 masked employees donned gloves, hefted shovels, lifted paint brush and worked up a sweat carrying out tasks at 15 locations across the state.
The Hope of House in Apponaug was one of three Warwick sites visited during the good deed blitz. Crews also worked the day at the Oakland Beach and Norwood branches of the Warwick Boys and Girls Clubs.
Project captain at the House of Hope, Dr. Matthew Collins, chief BCBSRI medical officer, was comfortable with holding the event as people were outside, distanced and taking precautions. Besides, the day has become an institution, one welcomed by employees as an opportunity to give to the community. It’s hard to kill that spirit.
John Davia, manager of Well Being Solutions, has volunteered for all events since the first was held nine years ago. They have been good weather days with the exception of one, he notes.
Last Friday was another clear day, more like summer than fall. It made for hot work of the 20 volunteers who carried debris from a garage to a dumpster and dug around the foundation so as to create a drainage ditch filled with crushed stone. Others cleaned flowerbeds, spreading fresh mulch beneath bushes and between flowers.
For Laura Jaworski, House of Hope director, the manpower couldn’t have been better timed. The House of Hope hasn’t slowed with the pandemic, rather they have stepped up to meet the increase in homeless whose numbers have more than doubled since this time last year. Part of the increase is due to measures to reduce numbers at shelters to prevent spread of the virus. The pandemic as also meant economic hardships with the loss jobs.
The need hasn’t gone unnoticed. Coleman responded with the donation of 400 sleeping bags. They also gave tents. The donations will be put to good use, however, House of Hope was pressed for space to store everything. Jaworski turned to the garage as the solution, but it was filled items including furniture, doors, windows, rugs and boxes that they thought they might need at some point. In addition, there were built in shelves that had become clutter collections. Jaworski wanted and open space where donations could be properly stored. Metal shelving was assembled by a couple of volunteers as others continued making trips between the garage and the dumpster.
Since the inaugural Blue across Rhode Island in 2012, employees have provided more than 27,000 volunteer hours and the company has donated $380,000 in funding to nearly 60 agencies around the state.
Last Friday, the House of Hope gained needed space and BCBSRI employees came together for a common cause after working from home because of this pandemic.
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