Hospitality Happenings: Experience to Build Upon

At Shawmut, we make it our mission to frequently and actively participate in volunteer and philanthropic causes within the communities in which we work. The Room to Dream Foundation is a charitable organization that we at Shawmut enjoy partnering with annually.  RTD creates healing environments by completing dramatic makeover projects in homes and communities for children and adolescents who are facing chronic illnesses. Every project with RTD has its own unique challenges and this one was no exception. A 16-year old girl with chronic asthma needed a complete makeover of her space to ensure a healthier environment.

Shawmut’s hospitality group was joined by designers Jessie Koff and Karen Urosevich as well as Standolyn Robertson, owner of Things in Place and President of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Together, we worked with the family to come up with a project plan and timeline that would work for everyone.

The project required the team to open up space for new things, remove older items, recycle used items and reorganize. Standolyn Robertson brought in a team of eight organizers from Massachusetts and New Hampshire who donated over 100 hours of time in the family’s home organizing each room and educating the family on the ways to make and maintain a healthy environment. This was no small task and their willingness to go above and beyond for this family was amazing. Their efforts made a significant impact on the success of the project and changed the landscape of the home dramatically.

During the preparation phase, designers worked diligently to decorate each room with quality pieces, stretch every penny, and create warm and inviting rooms for this special family. Many members of Shawmut’s Hospitality Group contributed by skipping lunches for weeks before the makeover and assembling over 20 pieces of furniture. By assembling this furniture beforehand, it allowed for more time for other tasks on makeover weekend and less time out of the house for the family.

It was incredible to see all the planning come together on makeover weekend. Over 30 shawmut volunteers, including family and friends, were there throughout the weekend, tearing up carpets, replacing floors, remodeling, cleaning and moving furniture. Nigel Costolloe, President of Catchlight Painting, along with members of their team went to work applying a fresh coat of paint. By mid-afternoon, the project was bathed in Inviting Ivory, Priscilla Pink, and White Flour. Sunday morning was filled with moving furniture, clearing space, picking up, and organizing. Before we knew it, the space had turned into a welcoming and healthy environment for the family to come home to. By mid-afternoon, the team anxiously awaited for the family to arrive for the reveal.

“I will never forget the look that came across their faces when they walked in,” said Gail O’Rourke of Room to Dream. “To realize that in one instant, you have completely changed how a family will live and how a family will feel by creating this new and healthy home is overwhelming. We all shed a tear of joy.”