BSL Communities Unite to Give the Gift of Time
When Benchmark people get creative, good things happen. Capitol Ridge at Providence and Greenwich Farms at Warwick associates proved this while showing they are Better Together during a recent community service day to assist a local charity.
With the two communities located only 8 miles apart, Capitol Ridge Senior Executive Director Linda Silveira and Capitol Ridge Programming Director Jennifer Petrarca thought they should do something beneficial together.
“We wanted to have the kind of shared experience that instantly creates a relationship,” says Linda, who was previously the executive director at Greenwich Farms, “so we decided to donate our time.” Jennifer contacted charities in the area and met Ernie Spaziano, director of Holy Family Home for Mothers and Children of Providence, R.I., a nonprofit shelter that does not take government funds. As Holy Family Home relies on donations, it’s always taking in goods — and goods pile up.
“A lot of charities accept financial donations” says Jennifer, “but Holy Family Home really wanted our time.”
Ernie appreciates the distinction. “Our storage room was in disarray,” he says. “The Benchmark team straightened it all up, coming in with very positive attitudes, willing to do almost anything. It was great having them here.”
Capitol Ridge Director of Business Administration Melissa Stock, Plant Operations Director Chuck Pearson, and Director of Dining Services David Silva joined Linda and Jennifer, in addition to Greenwich Farms Programming Director Kristyn Follett and Plant Operations Director Marcelo Lopez. The seven-member team spent five hours organizing the donation closets.
“After this, our communities are much more comfortable reaching out to each other for different projects going forward,” says Jennifer.
“We never stopped laughing all day,” Linda adds. “It was so nice to see these people working hard, having fun and helping their local community.”
In fact, Holy Family Home itself made such a positive impression that the team plans to return on a regular basis.
Capitol Ridge at Providence
