SHA Staff

Seven Springfield Housing Authority employees were among some 1,000 volunteers who spent the day on April 27 repairing, painting and gardening on a block in the Old Hill section of the city.

SHA Deputy Executive Director Nicole Contois, Executive Department Manager Isabel Serrazina, Mechanic Richard Daigneault and Applications Clerk Ruth Maio spent their Saturday at 266 Tyler St., where they worked to help a homeowner do maintenance and make repairs and keep up with the property.

SHA Mechanic Richard Daigneault and Executive Department Manager Isabel Serrazina paint the back steps at 266 Tyler Street, Springfield.

In addition, SHA Foreman Jason Guyer, Electrician Joe Ricker, and Mechanic George Williamson helped prepare the team with materials and skills assistance in advance of the daylong volunteer event.

The seven were helped form a wall of volunteers that spread out on Tyler Street, Pendleton Avenue and Eastern Avenue, where work continued through the day in the event sponsored by Rebuilding Together Springfield.

Contois, who is on the board of directors of the non-profit group, said the event was one of an ongoing series aimed at helping low-income homeowners remain in their homes. Rebuilding Together Springfield was founded in 1992, and has since helped thousands of city residents remain in their homes.

Contois said the day was fun as well as productive.

The Rebuild Together Springfield team gathers at the end of the volunteer day. (Courtesy of Rebuild Together Springfield.)

“We worked hard as part of the effort,” Contois said. “It was a beautiful day, so it worked out perfectly. And at the end of the day we all got together for a ‘block party’,” she added.

In addition to the labor, the SHA lent four golf carts and a tent as part of the effort. SHA was among 70 sponsors and donors helping out.

The SHA team of volunteers worked on one house as part of the daylong event.